Determination and characterization of the structure of graphs.
Recognition of graph isomorphism

Primates (precisely non-human primates), are the animal group that shares the most similarities with humans. They show high levels of intelligence and social skills. Additionally, many primate species live in tropical and subtropical regions and are considered keystone species that play a fundamental role in maintaining tropical ecosystems. Researching the society and ecology of primates can provide us with valuable insights into the evolution and nature of humans. This knowledge can help us better understand ourselves, as well as contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and the resolution of global environmental issues. My work involves studying the society and ecology of primates and other large and medium-sized mammals, mainly through field observations. I also examine human society from a zoological perspective and its evolution. Currently, my team and I are conducting long-term field research and conservation activities to protect wild gorillas in the tropical forests of Central Africa. We also conduct educational and animal welbeing activities in zoos and perform behavior observation research on Japanese macaques in Japan.

The landscapes of traditional townscapes and villages are based on the natural conditions of the land, such as climate and topography, and are the tangible manifestations of social characteristics such as history and livelihoods, which have been inherited through traditional lifestyles and local traditions. In our laboratory, we are conducting research to clarify what kind of background has formed such a beautiful landscape, and what kind of elements it is composed of, fucusing on the characteristics of the traditional architecture of the region. We are also examining methods of heritage conservation that involve local residents in order to inherit these cultural heritages to future generations.

I study the biosynthetic pathway of indican (a precursor of indigo). As an application, I attempt the mass production of indigo in E. coli.

I analyze the intracellular function of several unique proteins from a slime mold.

The founding of Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) in 1903 is situated in the social development of the working class organisation and is sustained the rich associational culture. In my research, I apply on the focus to the working-class association which was affiliated with WEA and the adult students who came to class. What was contributed to the educational life of the workers? What was the WEA’s purpose in putting forward the educational reconstruction? I will try to explore this.

My research focuses on teacher education in the subject (Japanese language), with a focus on “Lesson Study.”
Teacher education has two objectives: “to become a teacher” and “to improve own skills as a teacher.
The former is the question of “what kind of process students need to go through in order to become teachers,” and “what kind of knowledge, experience, and support they need in order to do so. With these questions in mind, I am conducting research while practicing daily in the teacher training program at the university.
The latter can be expressed by the question, “How can in-service teachers improve their teaching practice? This question concerns teacher training (class research) conducted as part of school work. We aim to build a training model that encourages both in-service teachers and researchers to think together and cooperatively work toward achieving school goals, valuing the question, “How can we refine our classroom views and teaching based on the facts of children’s learning?

Smooth muscle cells are major components of the organ walls of organs, such as artery, gastrointestinal tract, bladder and trachea. Smooth muscle cell motility is highly regulated by nerve and hormonal stimuli. Accumulating lines of evidence suggest that impaired smooth muscle motility is involved in a variety of diseases, such as hypertension, digestive dysfunction, asthma, and dysuria. To elucidate the molecular basis of smooth muscle diseases, and to develop their effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, we have been studying the mechanisms that regulate smooth muscle motor function. Meanwhile, we have discovered a protein that regulates smooth muscle contractile function and have elucidated the underlying mechanism by which the protein mediates regulation of smooth muscle motility. We now study the signals in smooth muscle disease.
In parallel with our research on smooth muscle disease, we are assisting in the development of devices and products to improve the quality of life of animals, including pets, and their owners through collaborative research.

Among infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, we are studying zoonoses, which are infectious diseases between animals and humans. In recent years, with the increasing distance between animals and humans and the improvement of diagnostic techniques for pathogenic microorganisms, it has become clear that a variety of zoonoses exist in the world and pose a significant threat to us and human society. Our research contributes to the prevention and control of these zoonotic diseases by clarifying how these pathogenic microorganisms are actually maintained in the field and the degree of risk they pose to humans and animals. We also conduct molecular biological studies using actual pathogens and various types of cultured cells to evaluate pathogenicity and elucidate the mechanisms of pathogen transmission.

I analyze influences of biogeographic phenomena such as evolution and migration of host animals on parasite distribution or population using molecular phylogenetic analyses. I’m also conducting research on the mechanisms of migration and pathology of helminths in their host.

To protect from viruses, animals including humans have acquired various innate immunity. However, viruses have also gotten the abilities to evade the host immune responses in order to efficiently propagate.
In the relation between viruses and host immune responses, I focus on the “programmed cell death”, which is the cell suicide to inhibit the infection to other cells, and “stress granule”, which is recently identified as the new host immune response. In the future, I’d like to investigate emerging infectious disease viruses to elucidate the viral survival-strategy against the host.

Food hygiene is expected to more important due to HACCP and export of meat and marine product.
Pneumonia is a common disease in feedlot, and Mycoplasma bovis may be involved. The bacteria occur such as pneumonia, mastitis, and arthritis. Endocarditis, which causes lesions in the heart, is occasionally observed at slaughterhouses (Fig). The researches of adhesive factors for vaccine development leads to a stable supply of meat product.
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC, STEC), Salmonella, Campylobacter,which are known to be food poisoning, are tested at the Meat Inspection Center. The study of food microbiology that have attracted attention in recent years, such as Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes, makes to improve food safety.