SIS Faculty List

Assistant Professor

Research Keywords
Management
Sustainability Management
Integrated Reporting


Research Outline
Taslima AKHTER joined the School of International Studies (SIS) of Kwansei Gakuin University in April 2021. She received her Ph.D. in Advance Management from the Institute of Business & Accounting, Kwansei Gakuin University in 2019.She also holds an MBA from Graduate School of Management, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Her research interest includes Corporate Sustainability Management, Sustainability Accounting and Reporting, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and Integrated Reporting. She is interested in investigating the corporate sustainability management and accounting from stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory and institutional theory perspectives. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the comparative study of integrated reporting practice between Japan and the UK. In particular, she examined the extent and quality of integrated reporting practice of these countries and the influence of corporate level determinants in adopting this practice in Japan.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Instructor of English as a Foreign Language (I. E. F. L.)

Research Keywords
Academic Writing
Pragmatics
Computer Assisted Language Learning

Research Outline
My background is in Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language. In particular, my teaching and research experience is focused on academic writing, particularly process writing and use of writing tools. In addition, I have conducted research on how online tools have been used by teachers and students in emergency remote teaching settings, as well as in blended and hybrid contexts.
Furthermore, I also have a background in philosophy and have created courses that make use of philosophy and thought experiments for the teaching of critical thinking skills.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Assistant Professor

Research Keywords
Forced Migration Studies
Middle East & North Africa Studies
Japan-Arab Relations


Research Outline
My research focuses on forced migration, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and Japan-Arab relations. Armed conflicts, human rights violations, and environmental disasters continue to displace millions around the world, resulting in both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees/asylum seekers. I examine the underlying drivers of forced migration, host countries’ asylum and socioeconomic integration policies, and the daily challenges faced by the displaced people, with a particular emphasis on the situation in Japan. Additionally, my research explores governance and democratization processes in the MENA region in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, assessing Japan’s interests and foreign policy engagement in the region.

Instructor of Korean as a Foreign Language

Research Keywords
Modern Korean Literature
Zainichi Literature
Modern Korean Culture
Korean Language Education


Research Outline
My research focuses on Zainichi literature, examining how postcolonialism, ethnic identity, and language issues are represented in relation to modern Korean literature. In particular, I analyze how Korean and Zainichi literature transcend boundaries and influence each other. Additionally, I explore how socio-cultural elements of modern Korean culture are reflected in literature and popular culture content, while also researching effective ways to incorporate them into Korean language education. My research emphasizes the exchange beyond literary and cultural boundaries and ways to connect language and identity issues with education.

Instructor of English as a Foreign Language (I. E. F. L.)

Research Keywords
Language endangerment
Orthography of sociolinguistics
Linguistic landscape


Research Outline
With a background in international relations, I came to my research focus on language endangerment over two decades ago during my first position teaching economics English in Japan. Indeed, economic factors largely account for language shift among minority-language communities the world over. I look at the endeavors and challenges involved in boosting languages at risk. Past research has examined the effects of indigenous language academies on revitalization efforts. I now focus on the sociolinguistics of orthography, or how distinctive writing systems and characters — on the page and in public signage (linguistic landscape) — are used as markers of cultural identity. Where appropriate and productive, I like to raise awareness of language issues in my academic English classes.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Economic, Work and Industrial Sociology
Industrial Relations
European Economy


Research Outline
My research interests are in the field of economic-, work- and industrial sociology. Specifically my research concentrates on work and industrial relations, work organization, local and regional production configurations, as well as on industry development. For many years my focus was especially on the European, Japanese and Chinese automobile industry. More recently I extended my research on the issue of globalization and its influence on labour market policies, social dialog, and work relations.Regarding education, my classes at SIS are mainly on European economy and management, EU integration, international management, transnational corporations as well as on the automobile industry with a special focus on Europe, Japan and China. With this focus in research and education I wish to contribute to the students’ deeper understanding of a continuously changing global economic environment on company management on the one hand and on labour issues and industrial relations on the other.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Assistant Professor

Research Keywords
Historical Socio-Pragmatics
English Stylistics
Corpus Linguistics


Research Outline
My research interest lies in English linguistics. I am currently examining the use of the structure known as the “split infinitive,” using corpus data as the foundation for my work. My focus is not only on the historical evolution of this structure but also on its variation in usage across different genres in contemporary English, along with its pragmatic characteristics and stylistic effects. Language, a familiar medium to all of us, is closely tied to the culture, society, and history in which it exists. As such, I believe that the way language is used reflects the cognition of the speaker or writer, and the social and cultural contexts of the time. From this perspective, investigating when, by whom, and for what purposes expressions considered “deviations” from the norm have been employed offers a rich and rewarding approach to linguistic analysis.

Professor

Research Keywords
Applied Linguistics
Reading Research
Reading Instruction


Research Outline
Originally trained in the field of English linguistics, my research interest lies in the field of applied linguistics. After having taught English at both junior and senior high schools for about 15 years, I joined Kwansei Gakuin University in 1998. My current research includes reading instruction, more specifically the automaticity of syntactic parsing and extensive reading. I am also involved in the psycholinguistic research using NIRS and am trying to investigate the effects of repeating, shadowing, and other related oral activities.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Associate Professor

Research Keywords
Food Culture
Food in France
The philosophy of meals
Gastronomy
Socializing
The institutionalization of food


Research Outline
It is obvious that the act of eating has a meaning for human beings that goes beyond mere nutrition. What is that meaning? This is the theme of my research, and I conduct this research, taking up especially cases of modern France. Specifically, I consider, in the light of the historical and ideological contexts, how the French "gastronomy" as we know it today has been established and what has been covered up in this historical process of so-called “institutionalisation of eating”. Since the subject of my research is “food” or “eating”, i. e. an exceedingly familiar matter for everyone, I attach importance not only to reading the past documents, but also to contemplating every single act of eating in our daily lives.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor (Chaplain)

Research Keywords
Relation between Subjectivity and Transcendence
Soren Kierkegaard and Twentieth-century Theology
Culture and Society of Denmark


Research Outline
Inspired by the ideas and thoughts of Soren Kierkegaard, I am interested in understanding the relation between subjectivity and transcendence, and the formation of contemporary theology. Living in the present time, we the human beings are faced with various crises. I believe that these crises arise from the modern idea that we ourselves are the only reason for our own existence. While such ideas have led us to recognize human dignity, it has also caused us to become oblivious of the existence beyond human beings. Kierkegaard identified the signs of these crises and pointed out the cause in 19th-century Denmark. By tracing his ideas and thoughts, I seek to understand the meaning of the existence beyond human beings in the present time and how we should be able to regain the relationship with such existence, transcendence and God.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Development Economics
Agricultural Economics
Chinese Economy


Research Outline
My research field is economic development of China focusing on agricultural integration through contract farming and agricultural cooperatives. Previously, I have worked at the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) and have taken in charge of China studies. During the period, I have conducted fieldwork at various regions to understand actual conditions that local people face. Based on the results of fieldwork and questionnaire survey, I have investigated appropriate market designs to overcome the disadvantages of small-scale farming and to let local people escape from poverty. I am currently involved in international joint studies on China Household Income Survey (CHIP) to examine the long-term trend of income inequality. In addition, I would like to expand my research cope into East Asia and Southeast Asia to conduct international comparisons on agricultural development and poverty alleviation.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
U.S. politics and diplomacy
Japan-US relations
Security


Research Outline
Over the years I have taught courses on the foreign relations of the U.S., U.S.-Japan relations, American history and politics, international relations and international history. My research publications have centered on the international history of the relations between the United States and East Asia. They can be divided into two major research trends. One focuses on Japan's reactions to the influence of American economic and political power in East Asia; my works on Ayukawa Yoshisuke and U.S.-Japan relations are in this category. The other focuses on the relations between right-wing Republicans (such as my works on former President Herbert C. Hoover and Bonner Fellers) and East Asia. With regard to my most recent book, Ayukawa Yoshisuke to Keizaiteki Kokusaishugi (Ayukawa Yoshisuke and Economic Internationalism), it won the Suntory Prize in December 2012 in the Politics and Economics field and won the Kigyoka Kenkyu Forum (Forum for Entrepreneurial Studies) book prize in July 2013. One of the research topics I am currently pursuing is the implications of the Bretton Woods scheme envisioned by U.S. Treasury Secretary Morgenthau and his confidant Harry White on postwar schemes conceptualized by a successor to Ayukawa's approach to utilizing American capital, chairman of the Foreign Exchange Control Board, Kiuchi Nobutane.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Instructor of Japanese as a Foreign Language

Research Keywords
Japanese Language Education
Japanese Linguistics
Applied Linguistics


Research Outline
I have taught Japanese to non-native speakers both in Japan and abroad. Through my deep involvement with international students, who are studying Japanese in order to work in Japan or to pursue university or graduate school, I have learned that there is great diversity in their way of thinking. I believe that Japanese language education has a major role to play in realizing a multicultural society in which we can all accept each other. In recent years, I have been interested in understanding the identity formation process of Japanese language learners and teachers, and have been conducting research on this topic. I intend to engage in education and research with the aim of fostering learners who are aware of differences in their own and others' ways of thinking and developing, and who can learn while respecting each other.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Assistant Professor

Research Keywords
Manga Studies
Media Studies
Japanese Pop Culture


Research Outline
KÁLOVICS Dalma received her Ph.D. degree in manga studies from Kyoto Seika University in 2019. Her thesis examines 1960s shōjo manga within children’s magazines through Weekly Margaret from a media historical perspective. After graduating, she became a researcher at Yokote Masuda Manga Museum, and her focus shifted to how manga manuscripts (genga) can be utilized in manga research, leading her to the issue of media materiality. Her recent research interests center on the materiality of manga, how different publication formats relate to the visual structure of comics, from 1960s children’s magazines, rental comics, newspaper comics to digital comics and webtoons. While she researches primarily Japanese comics, she also has an interest in other East and Southeast Asian comics media.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Business administration
Management organization and strategy
Business creation


Research Outline
My research field is mainly on business administration. By analyzing the scales, performances and technologies of corporations, I try to find managerial solutions for them regarding their business models, and construct new theories of management, organization, strategy, and innovation through these case studies. My first theme in the academic carrier was how to prepare for the conditions of justice in managerial organizations, which are related to the business ethics and CSR (corporate social responsibility) etc. After that, I was engaged in the Japanese management and industrial organizations, and then stepped into the fields of business strategies and competitive advantages. My current research topics are to develop new theories on business creation and sustainability. The ecological niche strategy I have developed recently would help corporations to find niche markets and construct their own commercial platforms with several kinds of third parties, and then finally get sustainable positions in the industrial eco-systems. Because of the strategy based on the concept of network externalities in economics, my research fields are involved not only in business administration but also in social sciences including economics, sociology, and politics etc.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
International Macroeconomics
Development Economics
Asian Economies


Research Outline
My major fields are International Macroeconomics and Development Economics. I studies economic policy issues in developing countries and emerging economies, the roles of international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and development experiences in Asian countries such as India, China, ASEAN countries, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
The economy affects the society and the history, and vice versa. Therefore, learning Economic theory is essential for understanding the world surrounding us and foreseeing its future developments. In reverse, close observation of the world as a whole brings new ideas for social sciences including Economics. In short, the both of theoretical framework and practical observation is important. I would like to keep studying and teaching with such a bidirectional approach in mind.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Financial Accounting
Financial Statement Analysis
Capital Market


Research Outline
Koji Kojima joined the School of International Studies (SIS) at KGU in 2010 as an associate professor. Prior to joining SIS, he spent six years as an assistant and associate professor at the School of Business Administration and the Institute of Business and Accounting (Business School) at KGU.
His research interests focus on international accounting, management behavior, cost of capital, disclosure regulation, financial statement analysis and real estate investment trusts (REITs). He teaches introduction to financial accounting, financial reporting and analysis, international accounting at undergraduate levels as well as accounting theory and practice and basic accounting at the graduate level.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Political Sociology
International Japanese Studies
Communication


Research Outline
My research focuses on understanding what role Japan should play in the world in a broad sense. To answer the question what Japan is, I believe that two points of view are required. One is to understand that Japan is largely compared with the "West" and to understand the characteristics of Japanese society. We need to look into the relationships Japan has built with the “West” and how the country has changed. The other is to be fully aware that how Japan is seen in the world has a significant influence on its reality. I approach various phenomena of contemporary Japanese politics from these viewpoints. I am currently interested in the communication that takes place during political decisions and how it is reflected in the public and media before creating certain social trends. With these viewpoints in mind, I continue my study to comprehensively examine the time when such terms as “international contributions” and “structural reforms” were frequently used

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Climate justice
Eco-theology
Reconciliation (Indigenous and Settler relations in Canada)
Faith and advocacy
Intercultural / Interfaith relations


Research Outline
The health and well-being of a population is intrinsically connected to the health of its environment and our planet. With this understanding and my background in environmental science, health promotion, and eco-theology, my professional interests and experiences span academic, theological, and community-based research and education including projects with government and non-government organizations. My focus began in environmental health promotion and sustainability, social determinants of health, and community health and planning. For the last decade, I have focused on reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and settlers in Canada, as well as climate justice in partnership with religious, interfaith, and secular community leaders.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Chinese Politics
International Politics
Comparative Politics


Research Outline
“The 21st century will be China’s century” - this forecast finally seems to be coming true. For this reason, we have to understand China more properly. But the reality is that we even lack basic research of the politics in China. In order to fill the gap, I have been engaged in the study of Chinese domestic politics as well as foreign relations. As for the former, I pay close attention to the central-local relations; as for the latter, I explore the unique Chinese way of establishing diplomatic relations with other countries.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Migration Studies
Australian Society
Japanese Society


Research Outline
My research is in the field of migration issues, one of the most visible phenomena of contemporary globalization. Specifically, I examine the cases of Japanese migrants to Australia, who are often referred to as “new migrants” or “lifestyle migrants,” by looking into their migration decisions, settlement process, and their relationship with Japanese society as well as Japanese communities in Australia. These studies demonstrate various changes taking place not only in Australian society but also in the work ethic and lifestyles in Japanese society. I also apply the theories in sociology and cultural anthropology, such as globalization and transnationalism, to keep the balance between practical methodologies and theoretical approaches.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Sociolinguistics
Intercultural pragmatics
Discourse analysis


Research Outline
In the field of sociolinguistics, I have been studying the (re)construction of identities for diverse people who live in Japan by focusing on the perspectives of both verbal and non-verbal communication. I have been exploring how verbal and non-verbal behaviours and social categories (e.g., ethnicity and race, regionality, gender, generation, and social class) interact. Further, I have been investigating how this will lead to (re)shaping their own multiple identities, by drawing on the research method, which is “discourse analysis”.
The key objectives of my study are finding (non)verbal behaviours that are distinctive in causing miscommunication through ongoing interactions, identifying (non)linguistic and cultural practices, as well as social functions towards establishing a harmonious human relationship. Further, it aims to discover a multi-layered process of (re)constructing one’s diverse identities practised through mutual interactions among people from various social categories.
The recent major issue of social division, accelerated by a modern multicultural society, should be deeply rooted within the aforementioned various social categories. Through the study of communication, my research vision lies in leading to coexistence between such diverse people who have various linguistic, cultural, and social backgrounds. Finally, I strive to contribute to the establishment of a more inclusive society based on a research perspective that includes both respecting others’ diverse identities and recognising one’s own multiple identities.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Human Geography
Ethnic Geography
Regional Geography of Canada and the United States


Research Outline
My background is in human geography. In particular, I am interested in linguistic and ethnic groups. Since the late 1990s, I have conducted research in language maintenance of Canada’s official languages minorities, that is, francophones (French speakers) outside Québec and anglophones (English speakers) within Québec. Recently, my research interest has broadened to include the historical and cultural geography of the United States, for example, immigrant history in the Midwest, or Cajun culture in Louisiana, etc. In addition to my interests in North America, I have written some articles on Japanese immigrants in New Caledonia before the Second World War.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Corporate Behavior
Public Management
Social Innovation


Research Outline
My research focuses on improving the governance and outcomes of the industry, government, academia, and civil society, as well as their collective impact. The examples are as follows: the social responsibility of multinational corporations (especially in the fields of culture and arts) and international migration (especially the issue of migrants’ employment and labor in Japan). I have been working as a practitioner at a property & casualty insurance company for about 20 years, and as a researcher at a think tank attached to a trade and investment company for about 10 years, gaining experience both in Japan and abroad. Concerning migrants’ employment and labor, I have also been involved in the design and implementation of applicable laws and regulations for about 10 years as an official of the Government of Japan and as a member of the councils.

Professor

Research Keywords
International Relations
Canada and the United States
Canadian Foreign Policy


Research Outline
International Relations (IR) and North American area studies, esp., Canadian and American postwar political and diplomatic histories, are my principal research fields. This area studies specifically deals with postwar Canadian-American relations in general, and IR research now focuses on how weaker states such as Canada, New Zealand (NZ) and Japan have outnegotiated or failed to outnegotiate a superpower like the United States. I am also interested in the development of study skills and writing skills in Japanese university environments, relations between Japanese universities and society, and postwar Canadian-American-Japanese relations/comparisons.

The recent publications, all single-authored, and available in Japanese, include Daremo shiranakatta kashioikuni kanada (Canada: A Wise Country Nobody Knew), a comprehensive text on Canadian contemporary affairs (Tokyo: Kodansha, 2003), Kanada-amerika kankeishi, 1948-2005 (Canadian-American Summit Diplomacy, 1948-2005), covering main top-level bilateral interactions (Tokyo: Akashishoten, 2006) and Taibeikosho no sugoi kuni – kanada, mekishiko, NZ ni manabu (Davids against Goliath in International Politics: How Canada, Mexico, and NZ outnegotiate the United States) from Kobusha in 2009. For easy-to-read study skills and writing skills text, I published ‘Yu’ wo agetakunaru toan/repoto no sakuseijutsu (How to Get an ‘A’ for Your Papers and Essays: A Professor’s Advice for Dummies) from Kodansha in 2008.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Educational Development
International Cooperation
Growth & Development and Education


Research Outline
As an international volunteer, expert of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and consultant in international cooperation, I have long been involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of projects for international cooperation in education in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Based on these experiences, I have examined the effect of human involvement on growth & development in developing countries and the world as a whole in order to primarily understand what education means to us all. My current research focuses on examining the approaches to improve the basic academic performance of school children in developing countries, and analysing the present conditions of education in Japan from an outside perspective.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
International Relations Theory
Multi-track Governance
ASEAN


Research Outline
The purpose of my seminar is twofold. The first is to explore the theoretical engagement of international relations with regional political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The second is to investigate what I call ‘multi-track’ governance approach in the context of ASEAN community building after the ratification of ASEAN Charter. This multi-track governance approach entails track 1 (intergovernmental channel), track 2 (international non-governmental channel), and track 3 (civil society organizations) arenas to enhance the mutual understanding of those stakeholders under the community-building processes in ASEAN.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Migration Studies
Foreign Labour
Japanese Economy


Research Outline
Focal research interest is migration studies, with an interdisciplinary approach including the economic method. Regional distribution of foreign residents, categorized by visa status, in Japan is empirically analyzed, taking into account the effects that changes in population composition and globalization of the economy have on local employment and industries. International comparison on migration policies - immigration control by central government and social integration by municipalities - are also undertaken. Currently ongoing research topics include international students and their job market in Japan and the technical intern training programme from the point of view, “only the countries cultivating human resources can attract competent people abroad.”

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Instructor of Japanese as a Foreign Language

Research Keywords
Japanese Language Education
Narrative Inquiry
Learner Autonomy


Research Outline
My journey in Japanese language education began with a serendipitous moment in San Francisco. When I was 18 years old, I was staying at a Japanese American friend's house and happened to attend a tiny class that taught Japanese to non-Japanese speakers. Japanese was considered a niche language at that time, and I never imagined it was possible. But in that instant, I knew. This was it. This was what I wanted to do. Determined to turn that realization into reality, I returned to Japan and pursued a degree in Japanese literature and language education. While studying, I took an active role in running a volunteer program that provided Japanese lessons to foreign residents in my local community. After graduation, I taught at Japanese language schools in Kobe and Osaka, and later, after earning my Ph.D., I started teaching international students at the university.
My research focuses on Japanese language education. During graduate school, I was interested in the experiences of Japanese teachers working in language schools and used narrative inquiry to explore their challenges and insights. Later, my research expanded to include learner autonomy, studying how reflective learning activities can empower students in their language learning. I have also been involved in extensive reading programs, kanji learning materials development, and, more recently, a practical study on how structured evaluation sheets can enhance autonomous academic writing skills. My goal is to support Japanese learners effectively, helping them navigate their studies with confidence and autonomy. Also, as a Japanese language educator, I hope to connect even more people to this language. My passion for sharing the Japanese language and culture has only grown stronger.

Professor

Research Keywords
British/American Literature and Culture
Comparative Literature
Studies of Culture and Representation



Research Outline
After having studied American literature for B.A. and M.A. at the University of Tokyo, I took my Ph.D in Comparative literature at the University of Illinois in 2011. While my principal academic focus has been on early twentieth-century American literature, I have attempted to cross over different disciplines in humanities (literature, aesthetics, and philosophy) and have written essays on various topics including David Bowie and Christopher Nolan. In 2017, I published my first monograph Fureru Koto no Modernity [Tactility and Modernity] based on my Ph.D dissertation. The book analyzes the discourse and image of touch in Western Modernism by focusing on D. H. Lawrence, Alfred Stieglitz, Walter Benjamin and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. My current interests are twofold. First, the problem of culture and literature under the presidency of Donald Trump. I have keen interest in how the current cultural/political debate on totalitarianism and violence is related to the political situation today. The other academic interest of mine is far more long-standing: namely, a literary analysis of historical vision of an early twentieth-century American author Edith Wharton.
My teaching courses at Kwansei Gakuin University are designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire both English proficiency and in-depth knowledge of Western culture and literature. With my students I would like to examine such general and universal correlations between human ability and artificial intelligence, nation and state, knowledge and experience, sex and gender, as well as violence and tenderness.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Instructor of English as a Foreign Language (I. E. F. L.)

Research Keywords
TESOL
Communicative Language Teaching
Sociolinguistics


Research Outline
I hold a master's degree in TESOL from the University of Sunderland and I am an alumnus of Swansea University in the United Kingdom. My main research focus is on facilitating improved verbal communication between students. Related interests include strategies to improve reading comprehension and the appropriate application of cultural considerations in oral and written English communication. As an instructor of English, I find this cultural aspect to be particularly fascinating. My research hopes to illuminate the different contexts in which, on the one hand, language is merely a functional communicative tool; and on the other hand, the extent to which meaning itself is transformed by cultural considerations. This latter factor may be crucial for students who seek to use English abroad and to communicate effectively in English while also being aware of social-cultural issues embedded in language that may impact their interactions with other English speakers.

Professor

Research Keywords
Religion
Social History
East Asia


Research Outline
I am interested in the social history, broadly conceived, of modern Japan and late imperial and modern China. I have written on the environment in China and Japan, the Japanese in colonial Southeast Asia, the Chinese in Japan, the Japanese rule of Taiwan, and the religion and society of China. My most recent publications include articles on the Kobe flood of 1938 and the perception of Chinese cooking in Japan. My latest research project examines the portrayal of war in Chinese movies.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Assistant Professor

Research Keywords
Pedagogy for Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language
Foreign/Second Language Acquisition
English Education


Research Outline
My research interest lies in the areas closely related to classroom teaching for English as a foreign/second language. This is because of my desire to apply the findings from the research to improve my teaching skills. I am interested in any approaches/methods that can help learners better improve their English. My research has focused on effective classroom activities for fostering English language acquisition and how and when feedback should be given to learners. As for the 4 skills, I have researched on pedagogy for improving listening and speaking skills since these skills are particularly challenging for Japanese learners. In terms of grammar, I have researched on effective methods for helping learners deepen their understanding of grammar through input (reading and listening) and fostering them to use these grammar points in their output (writing and speaking). In the future, with the teaching experience and the knowledge gained from the research, I hope to contribute to improving English education in Japan.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Business Management
Financial Accounting
International Financial Reporting Standards


Research Outline
Financial statements play a significant role in analyzing the financial health of a business, and these statements are prepared based on financial reporting standards. In recent years, the accelerating globalization of business management calls for the improvement in the comparability of financial statements among countries. This has led to the ongoing development of a “common business language,” the international financial reporting standards. What roles should these standards play? Through a comparative case analysis of business management and accounting in China, the U.S. and Japan, my study focuses on examining those roles, not from an investor’s standpoint but from a management standpoint. In particular, it seeks to define what is required of the international financial reporting standards in economically-advanced countries and in emerging and developing countries against their economic and political background, and what benefits these standards will bring to business management.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Instructor of English as a Foreign Language (I. E. F. L.)

Research Keywords
Reflective activities in the classroom
Mindfulness
Extensive reading


Research Outline
With a group of researchers, I studied how students engaged in reflective activities in the classroom. Although they were able to participate well and set goals for themselves, we found that students often didn’t follow through and achieve their goals. Direct feedback and support from teachers was most useful in helping students achieve their goals, but could be difficult for teachers who have to read and respond to many students.
I am also interested in how doing a mindful activity at the beginning of each class affects students’ participation and focus in the class. So far, I have been refining some mindful activities; moving forward, I would like to collect data on student experiences with mindfulness.
Finally, I am interested in researching two aspects of extensive reading. First, I’d like to study how discussing and sharing their books in the classroom affects students’ motivation to read. Second, I want to know how integrating intensive reading skills into extensive reading can increase students’ understanding of the text.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Assistant Professor

Research Keywords
Self-Regulated Learning
Second Language Acquisition
Curriculum Design

Research Outline
My area of expertise is English language education, and I have conducted research on the learning trajectories of successful language learners who have not had the experience of studying abroad. By examining the self-regulated behaviors throughout long periods of time, my findings suggest that sustained learning, coupled with active engagement and collaborative attitudes, are key factors in their success. However, within the Japanese educational system, regardless of the subject, the culture of “being taught by teachers” has long been ingrained. Students have typically been trained to passively receive information in lecture-based settings. I am particularly interested in exploring how teachers can better support Japanese learners of English in becoming more actively engaged in their learning. This includes encouraging them to collaborate with peers, learn through practical application, understand underlying mechanisms, improve their performance, and ultimately develop into self-regulated learners. Furthermore, with the growing trend of student exchange programs being offered at universities worldwide, an increasing number of Japanese university students are gaining international experiences as part of their curriculum. I believe that such experiences are instrumental in shaping students’ identities and fostering professionalism. My goal is to investigate how students can optimize the benefits of study abroad programs by aligning these experiences with their needs and expectations.

Professor

Research Keywords
International Law
International Organizations
United Nations


Research Outline
Since my Ph.D. thesis, I have been engaging in research on the Untied Nations (UN) economic sanctions. In the Ph. D. thesis and the following book titled Legal Problems on the United Nations Sanctions not involving the Use of Armed Force, I analyzed the principles, implementation and application of UN economic sanctions. From the analysis, I developed a theory of “international organizations law”, which might be categorized differently from international law or domestic legal system. My recent research on UN economic sanctions deals with the current development of sanctions and resulting problems, such as the human rights problems of “listed” individuals and bodies by the UN sanctions committees. My recent research publications also include the various subjects of international law and organizations, such as rules on the UN, international dispute settlements and international human rights.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Contrastive Linguistics
Interpretation and Translation Studies
Lexical Semantics


Research Outline
I study languages as a communication tool and how those languages can be used in their social and cultural contexts. Specifically, I describe various linguistic phenomena in Japanese and Korean to analyze them based on linguistic theories, such as lexical semantics. I work on incorporating these study results into Korean language education. I also study interpretation and translation as a form of communication. Interpretation and translation are often considered to be simple, putting a word or phrase in one language into another, however, they are actually very complex tasks requiring a deep understanding of the culture and society in which the target language is rooted. Having worked as an interpreter at international conferences, I strive to understand the relationships among language, culture and society through interpretation and translation.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Professor

Research Keywords
Semantic Extension Network Model
Japanese Language Studies
Contrastive Studies in Chinese and Japanese


Research Outline
Studies in contrastive linguistics, an approach focused primarily on parallel translation that seeks to demonstrate the similarities and differences between two languages or among several languages, rarely make a distinctive linguistic contribution or lead to convincing conclusions. This is due to the fact that the choice of words or sentence patterns in translation is often influenced by personal factors of translators. I do not deny that individual language studies and contrastive language studies are both essential to linguistic studies, and that certain patterns can be identified in the vast amount of examples obtained from parallel translation. However, more scientific methodologies should be applied to contrastive studies, and the semantic extension network model can be an extremely important and effective approach in this field. Applying this model to contrastive studies will not only help demonstrate the mechanism of semantic structures of individual languages and its relation to syntactic rules, but also identify universal rules. Based on this approach, I conduct individual studies in Japanese and contrastive studies in Chinese and Japanese.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Associate Professor

Research Keywords
Area Studies in South Asian
Indian Politics
Security Studies



Research Outline
The theme of my research is political and social transformation in contemporary India, and I have performed analysis using a multi-disciplinary approach that combines political science, security studies, and research on crime with South Asian studies based on an interest in the question of how people can coexist.
Over the past few years, India has achieved remarkable economic development under a robust democratic system and had increased its international presence, which includes playing a part as one of the influential BRICs emerging nations. Meanwhile, due to the diverse social structure which is a mix of people who belong to different ethnicities, religions, languages, castes, and social classes, there have been conflicts, unrest, and terrorist incidents. Therefore, I have conducted research with a focus on initiatives that people in local communities seek ways to resolve conflict and coexist that do not depend on the use of force.
In addition, broadening the scope of my previous research to the South Asia region, I have incorporated comparative research on the challenges of politics and religion, state politics and decentralized growth, economic growth and disparities, and the achievement of secure and stable societies.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page

Instructor of Chinese as a Foreign Language

Research Keywords
Chinese teaching methods
Comparative study of Japanese and Chinese Kanji
Comparative research of Japanese and Chinese vocabulary


Research Outline
My research mainly focuses on two fields. Firstly, I’m researching Chinese as a second language for foreigners, especially for Japanese students. Concretely speaking, I’m researching the teaching methods that how to teach Chinese pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar as a second language. I’m also interested in pedagogics of Chinese Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing, and Culture etc. at different learner levels.
Secondly, I’m studying the similarities and differences in Kanji and Kanji-vocabulary between Japanese and Chinese. Especially exploring the historical causes of the different meanings and usage between Chinese Kanji, Kanji-vocabulary and Japanese Kanji, Kanji-vocabulary.

Profile and Main Research Achievements
Link to the related page