I am a University Lecturer at the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS). I have been living and working on four continents, and I was educated on three continents since childhood. Due to my international background, I have been particularly intrigued by various cultures, minority issues, and competing perspectives on an identical issue. I was the recipient of the prestigious International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (the Australian government) and Melbourne Research Scholarship. After completing my PhD in social and cultural anthropology at Melbourne University on the topic of vocational pursuits and self-conceptualisation, I briefly returned to Japan and was involved in a municipal programme to promote diversity and intercultural efforts. Ever since, I have been involved in human rights issues affecting minority and marginalised populations while pursuing my academic career. I have a global professional network with international institutions, and I am active in fieldwork and academic communities.  

I am currently working on the KONE Foundation project (2025-2028) “Conspiracy Theories, Anti-Science, and Disinformation in East Asia: Perspectives from Japan (CADEA)”. I am a co-editor of the book on conspiracy theories in Japan (Routledge). Since 2025, I have been the recipient of the Eurasia Foundation (Japan) grant for the omnibus course development/operation of “Post-Growth Era Japan: Globalization, Neoliberalism, and National Identity” and hosted 15 guest lecturers from Japan and various European institutions. I am the primary editor of a volume (Routledge) “Handbook of Diversity, Norms, and Negotiations — Japan on the Margins”. I also publish on topics of transgression, gender, and intimacy.

The keywords that characterise my teaching style are: “insightful” and “big picture”. I value an engaging teaching style and am inspired by students’ learning. I have been teaching on multiple sociopolitical issues in contemporary Japan, including gender, family, poverty, the welfare system, an ageing population, social movements, environmental issues, and work-life (im)balance. Methodologically, I have been teaching on fieldwork-related subjects, including research ethics, ethnography, interview techniques, and analytical methods. I have been invited as a guest lecturer in the UK, France, Japan, and Australia. I was awarded the Teacher of the Year in 2023 and 2025.