Japanese billionaire returns to Earth after first 'tourist' trip to ISS since 2009

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A billionaire Japanese space tourist and two other people returned to Earth on Monday after spending nearly two weeks at the International Space Station.

Yusaku Maezawa returned to Earth in Kazakhstan on Monday. He was the first paying tourist to visit the International Space Station since 2009.

Maezawa, founder of online Japanese fashion retailer Zozo, was joined on the 12-day trip by his production assistant and videographer Yozo Hirano. The spacecraft was commanded by Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is seen training for a 12-day trip to the space station. He returned on Monday. Photo courtesy Roscosmos/Twitter

The 46-year-old businessman landed about 90 miles southeast of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, in foggy conditions.

The Russian Soyuz spacecraft was booked through Virginia-based spacecraft broker Space Adventures, which previously booked eight private space flights on Russian rockets from 2001 to 2009. Maezawa's mission launched from Kazakhstan on Dec. 8.

During the trip to space, Maezawa posted videos online for his 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. In orbit, he performed multiple "challenges," such as "eating snacks in zero gravity" and using the bathroom in space.

Russian space agency Roscosmos shared live footage of the space capsule undocking from the ISS and returning to Earth, as well as the agency picking up the crew after landing.