Named in honor of Nanayo Wakiya (1953– ), who joined the Japan Planetarium Laboratory in 1985 with the space artist Numazawa {see planet (5121)}, after working for the Mito and Niigata planetaria. Among her many activities she writes articles for astronomical magazines and directs programs about space on television. (M 29145) _ _.
Discovered on 18-12-1989 in Kitami by Endate, K., Watanabe, K.