From Small Voices to Broader Societal Questions

Ever since I was a child, I have always preferred listening to others over speaking myself. On weekends during my childhood, I often visited my aunt and uncle who lived in a satoyama (rural woodland) area. My greatest joy was observing, hearing about, and experiencing their way of life firsthand.
Eventually, my aunt and uncle grew older and found themselves with fields and forests they could no longer fully manage. Watching them struggle with the upkeep of their land showed me a stark reality faced by those close to me, and it became the starting point that drove me toward my research. Transforming the personal struggles of individuals into broader societal questions—that, I believe, is the true appeal of sociology.
Currently, I study environmental conservation and resource management in contemporary society by investigating the practical ways people maintain and manage underused natural resources in their local areas. For my fieldwork, I put on rubber boots, a helmet, and work gloves, and head directly into the site. By wearing the same gear as the local people, standing in the same places, and working alongside them, I am able to truly listen to their voices. Capturing the raw reality of the field through participant observation lies at the absolute core of my research.