I am a professor at Tsuda University in Tokyo. I am a political scientist interested in comparative politics, computational social science, Japanese politics, and American politics.

 

I focus on American democracy and affective/ideological polarization: this topic is related to polarization and democratic backsliding. I also work on the rise of populism and its political implications. Theoretically and empirically, I have studied the impact of the rise of populism on democratic politics in the US, Japan, and other countries. Finally, I have worked on the impact of misinformation/disinformation (e.g. conspiracy theories) on democratic politics, such as in Japan and the US.

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As described above, I have studied interrelated topics in different countries and time periods, theoretically and empirically, using different methods.

 

My research has been published as three books on American political history by Japanese publishers, and also in journals such as Party Politics, Diplomatic History, Health Communication, PS: Political Science & Politics, Frontiers in Physics, and others. I have also made academic presentations at the OAH, APSA, MPSA, Policy History Conference, SHAFR, SPSA, and so on.

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I received an S.J.D. from Keio University in 2007. Prior to joining Tsuda University, I was a Fulbright Scholar at Temple University in Philadelphia and a Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, a private and non-partisan think tank focusing on foreign and security policy issues.

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I was born in Hyogo, Japan. And I spent part of my childhood in London, United Kingdom (1985 to 1989), where I attended Woodridge Primary School in North Finchley.

 

Ongoing Research Projects: Please check more at ResearchGate.

Comparative Politics: Study on Populism; Study on Misinformation/Disinformation; Study on Conspiracy Theory 

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Computational Social Science: Textual Analysis and Machine Learning.

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International History: US-Japan relations and the Whaling Issue.

 

Political Science Education: Teaching American Politics in Japan.

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A little bit more about myself:

Outside of academia, I listen to music in my free time. I've been into Frank Zappa, Alice in Chains, Qururi, Silversun Pickups, Toe, Bon Ivar, The Chainsmokers, Perfect Circle, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Beck, and Sakanaction, among many others.  

 

I play the bass guitar. My favorite bassists are Tonny Levin, Jah Wobble, Les Claypool, Flea, Bernard Edwards, Larry Graham, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mike Inez, Tal Wilkenfeld, Dusty Hill, Sting, and so on.

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Also, I used to play the drums. My favorites are Terry Bozzio, Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Stewart Copeland, and many others.

 

My favorite authors are Yukio Mishima, Gabriele D'Annunzio, Jack Kerouac, Raymond Chandler, Hiromi Kawakami, Ko Machida, Nanami Shiono, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

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I support Hanshin Tigers.