I am specially Appointed Assistant Professor for the Center for Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo .
My measures are landscape planning (environment planning).
About my study
Study Theme
Building Better Relationships Between People and Nature
From the perspective of landscape studies, my research seeks ways to create a society in which both people and nature can thrive.
Rather than viewing humans and nature as opposing entities, I believe that humans are an integral part of the natural environment. Throughout history, societies have developed while adapting to and interacting with nature in sustainable ways. By learning from historical and regional examples of human–nature coexistence, I explore how more harmonious relationships can be fostered in ways that are appropriate to the unique characteristics of different communities.
My long-term goal is to contribute to the creation of a society where both people and nature can flourish together.
The environments I have studied include forests, agricultural landscapes, wetlands, and other forms of what are often referred to as secondary nature—landscapes that have been continuously shaped through human involvement. Such environments contain valuable knowledge about sustainable interactions between people and nature that has been accumulated over generations.
Research Background
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by living things. I often found myself wondering what animals, insects, and plants need in order to live and thrive.
As I grew older, I became increasingly aware of the loss of forests and farmland to urban development, as well as the transformation of rivers through engineering works. These changes led me to ask a simple but fundamental question: What happens to the organisms that once lived there? Looking back, this question became one of the motivations that guided me toward a research career.
During my undergraduate studies in geography, I visited many regions through fieldwork and seminars. In these communities, I observed people and nature supporting one another in ways that felt natural and effortless. Traditional lifestyles, local industries, cultural practices, and regional histories had developed alongside the surrounding environment, creating unique forms of coexistence specific to each place.
Later, while working in regional development projects across Japan, I encountered similar relationships between people and their environments. These experiences reinforced my belief that it is possible to create a society in which both human communities and the environments that sustain them can prosper together, even as social conditions change.
In both research and community development practice, I consider it essential to understand the relationship between people and their surrounding environment—in other words, the regional character of a place. For this reason, I believe that one of humanity’s most important roles is to continually rethink how space and landscapes should be used in each era and in each region. Through such efforts, we can help build a society where people and nature can coexist and thrive together.
Understanding regional landscapes to foster sustainable relationships between people and nature.