Members

Professor, Research Department, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature;
Professor, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Division of African Area Studies, Kyoto University.

With expertise in cultural anthropology and African area studies, she is interested in the connection between urban and rural areas. In her previous work in Cameroon, she has conducted research in urban and rural settings focusing on the distribution and circulation of agricultural products.  She has also been involved in action-research as part of agricultural projects aiming for environmental and economic sustainability. Moving forward, she wishes to engage in action-research in Kyoto and Uganda. In this project, her focus will be on the interrelationships formed between urban and rural communities through organic waste.

With expertise in African area studies and development anthropology, she is interested in the relationship between development aid, international markets, and local communities, particularly in how they shape livelihoods and material culture. In her previous work in northeastern Ghana, she has conducted research on the transformation of local basketry into export-oriented industries. As part of this project, she is investigating the use of organic matter and the practice of “no-burn” farming methods in the forest zone of southern Ghana. Looking ahead, she wishes to co-develop new farming methods with local communities, combining indigenous knowledge and scientific perspectives.

He has conducted research about their livelihoods shifting cultivation focusing on food production and consumption in rural Zambia. In rural Japan, he has also conducted research about cassava production and utilization. He examines the circulation of the production, consumption, and disposal in Zambia and Japan through this project.

After managing a safari company in Tanzania for 10 years, he joined the PhD program at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies. His PhD research focused on the rare charcoal-eating behavior of the Zanzibar Red Colobus, and the changes in the local community associated with tourism. He was conferred a Doctor of Area Studies degree in 2023, and is looking forward to contributing to the action-research aspect of this project.

Her research has so far focused on the composition of household waste and the livelihood of waste collectors in Niamey, Niger. In this project, she looks forward to studying the organic waste cycle, to better understand how the soil, organic substances, microorganisms and human activities contribute to the circle of life.