<title>Subaru Telescope</title>

Abstract

Subaru Telescope is an 8.2-m optical-IR telescope being constructed by NAOJ at the 4,130-m altitude site on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The 7th financial year of the 9-year project will end in this March. The construction in the assembling/testing phase, and mechanical data obtained so far suggest that the performance of the telescope structure will achieve our design target. The Subaru Telescope Hilo base facility was formally established in April 1998. We expect to obtain the first light by the end of the year. Here we report the general status and perspective of the Subaru project. Some details of individual parts of the construction will be described by other authors in this symposium.