Japan’s first commander of the International Space Station received an ecstatic welcome on his return to Earth.

Commander Koichi Wakata and two fellow astronauts touched down in Kazakhstan early Wednesday.

More than 700 students at his primary school alma mater near Tokyo gathered to watch the landing.

They applauded and shouted “Welcome back” on the safe touchdown of the Soyuz.

Wakata spent 188 days in space, skippering the station for 66 days.

During the mission he led experiments in plant growth, cell division and high definition video.