To be alongside,
and to listen intently

My academic journey was sparked by a professional wrestler who, in 2009, transformed from a jeered "heel" into a champion. The announcer’s description of him—"Defiance, Rebellion, Anti-establishment"—became the blueprint for my own life.
In the field of Japanese intellectual history, I initially explored the personification of rebellion. My interests transitioned toward the history of evolutionary thought, but after encountering a formidable publication that left no room for further contention, I pivoted my focus. Following a period of trial and error, I established my expertise in the history of natural history. This eventually led to my current preoccupation: rescuing the "voices" of those marginalized by text-based culture, including non-human beings.
Today, while conducting fieldwork at an old diner in Sendai, I am recording the life of its proprietress, who has stood at the helm for over six decades. By integrating the lives of "anonymous" individuals and animals into Japanese intellectual history, I am lodging a protest against traditional, text-centric academia. This is my "style of rebellion," a perspective deeply rooted in and nurtured by Tohoku.