Regions: Iran
Researcher Profile
My specialisation is in contemporary Iranian politics. Iran, a country with a rich history, is today governed under a political system said to be rooted in Islamic religion. I am interested in how a regime that justifies its rule by religion operates politically in the 21st century, and how Iranian society is responding to this system.
After studying international relations and Middle Eastern Islamic studies in graduate school, I worked as a specialist researcher at the Japanese Embassy in Tehran, Iran's capital, for about two years. My experience working in Iran was a series of surprises, and I repeatedly learned that easy assumptions do not hold when trying to understand the various political, social, and economic aspects of Iran as a country.
At JIME Center, I have been engaged in research on Iranian politics as well as economics and energy, striving to conduct multifaceted analysis of Iran and the international situations surrounding it. Regarding today's situation in Iran, I have summarised a short essay (Opens in a new window) based on my past engagement with the country, and I have taught courses on Iran and the Middle East region at Gakushuin University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and Otsuma Women's University.
Career
- 2024 — Director, JIME Center
- 2008 Visiting Researcher, Gulf Research Center
- 2005 Joined JIME Center
- 2005 Completed doctoral coursework, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, International Social Sciences Program, University of Tokyo (doctoral program)
- 2000–2002 Specialist Researcher, Embassy of Japan in Iran
- 1999 M.A., Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University, UK
- 1997 M.A., Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, International Social Sciences Program, University of Tokyo
Selected Works
- BookCo-authored chapter in "America's Wars" and the Global Crisis (Samaki Seiko ed., Iwanami Shoten, 2026)
- BookCo-authored chapter in The International Energy Order in Great Transition (Koyama Ken and Kobayashi Yoshikazu eds., Energy Forum, 2026)
- BookCo-authored chapter in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran (Nakamura Satoru ed., Minerva Shobo, 2021)
- ArticleArticle: "The Second Trump Administration and Iran: Pursuing Legitimacy through US-Iran Negotiations" (CISTEC Journal, 2025)
- ArticleArticle: "Iran: The People's Struggle for Freedom" (Gaiko [Diplomacy], 2023)