ABOUT

The divisions of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Department of Social and International Relations (undergraduate level) have embarked on a research project known as “The Regional Community of Japan”. This project is designed with the aim of shedding light upon the various problems faced by the regional community of Japan today, via the use of a wide array of analytical tools. Starting with a research on Sai village, Shimokita district of Aomori Prefecture in 1994, students and staff have conducted on-site research on an annual basis. The theme for research has been:“promoting regional development (role of shopping districts today)”.

Summaries of reports based upon on-the-site investigation can be found at the library of the Department of Advanced Social and International Studies. All related findings will also be presented at the study sessions organized by the Association of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, or published in the academic journal “Komaba Studies in Society” .

  • Regional developments in Sai-mura, Aomori Prefecture (1994)
  • An academic research into the nature of town-building at Oguni, Kumamoto Prefecture (1995)
  • The creation of a regional community in Sakae, Nagano Prefecture (1996)
  • The community and welfare society of Meguro district in Tokyo (1997)
  • Networks and the reconstruction of every-day society: An investigation conducted 4 years after the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake (1998)
  • Kobe volunteers 99: Interview based research (1999)
  • An academic research regarding everyday-life and town-building in Yamato-machi, Niigata Prefecture (2000-2001)
  • Networks and regional social welfare (2003)
  • An academic research regarding group homes: the elderly, people with special needs and children (2004)
  • Research on politics in Tokyo city (2005-2006)
  • The current-day status of social activism (2007-2008)
  • Various outlooks on the nature of “care work” (2009-2010)