Born in Okayama Prefecture and grew up in Yokohama City. After graduating a high school, I studied at the Department of Architecture of the Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University, and completed the M.Eng. and the doctoral program at Kyoto University. I also studied at the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, India as a short-term student. Before taking up the current post of professor at the College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University in 2010, I served as: a DC research fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; a research associate at Toyohashi University of Technology; a lecturer at the Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba; and an associate professor at the College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University. I received a Doctor of engineering from Kyoto University in 1996, and registered as a first-class architect in 2001.

My research theme is problem-oriented urban policy, urban planning and machizukuri (community-oriented planning). Personally, I am interested in the issues pertaining to shrinking cities characterized by population loss, birthrate decline and aging. I am also working in cooperation with the Research and Development Institute of Regional Information and the Asia-Japan Research Institute in the Osaka Ibaraki Campus of Ritsumeikan University, and am active as a member of the Study Group of Shrinking Cities of the City Planning Institute of Japan.

In setting a research theme, the most important thing is to be aware of what the problem is. Students often ask me, “Can I write a thesis on this theme?” but I have no idea. Research is about trying new things and thus worth doing because nobody knows what will result from it. Research starts with an awareness of a problem, which should be chosen by yourself, not by the instructor. I will use my experience-based knowledge to support you in your research throughout the research project to ensure that the research will yield meaningful results and help you acquire certain skills.

Urban policy, urban planning, machizukuri (community-oriented planning), shrinking cities

Urban Planning and Machizukuri Research Project (seminar for graduate students)