My research applies economics to a wide range of issues in the fisheries sector. When people hear “fisheries,” they often imagine research on fish. However, my focus is not on the fish themselves but on the people who interact with fish. I believe that studying people is what makes this field truly fascinating.
One of my main research themes is understanding consumer behavior related to seafood, particularly exploring the causes of the decline in fish consumption in Japan. While global fish consumption continues to rise, consumption in Japan has steadily declined. Why is this the case? Many hypotheses can be considered. My own hypothesis is that key information valued by Japanese consumers (for example, freshness) is not being communicated effectively. To investigate this, I conduct experiments using simulated retail stores at the university and collaborate with private companies to run sales experiments in real stores.
Another major theme of my research is fisheries management. Compared to agriculture, people often assume that fisheries are “easier,” since they seem to involve simply harvesting fish that grow naturally in the sea. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Individual fish in the ocean are not owned by anyone. As a result, if one fisher leaves fish unharvested, others will catch them. From the perspective of each fisher, it is therefore rational to harvest all the fish they encounter. However, when everyone behaves in this individually “rational” way, the outcome is overfishing at the collective level. To address this issue, I conduct interviews with fishers and perform statistical analyses of the effectiveness of actual fisheries management practices.
Educational approach
Do What Others Haven't Done
When you join our lab, you don't need to be an expert in fish or the fishing industry, and you don't need a background in economics. What's important is your motivation to do something new and interesting that no one else is doing, and the perseverance to see it through. Since we have many international students and our seminars are held in English, a certain level of English proficiency is necessary.
When students join the lab, I try to take them to fishing sites as much as possible. I want you to talk to the fishermen and experience the problems firsthand. I also want you to taste how delicious fresh fish is right at the source—it’s an amazing experience.
My guidance focuses on three key skills: 1) logical structuring, 2) writing, and 3) presentation. These skills are useful no matter what career path you choose. I make sure the training you receive in our lab is beneficial for all students, including those who graduate with a bachelor's or master's degree or who don't pursue a career in the fishing industry.
Your research topic can be flexible. If you have a topic you want to pursue, I will do my best to support it. Likewise, students who haven't decided on a topic are also welcome—there are countless fascinating research topics out there. If you are even a little interested, please come visit our lab.
Vision for industry-academia collaboration
Boosting Sales Through LCA and Consumer Research
We actively seek opportunities for collaboration with private companies. In particular, we see strong potential for synergy in the areas of consumer research and life cycle assessment (LCA).
In consumer research, our focus is on identifying what types of information, and how that information is presented, can lead to increased product sales. Our studies cover not only the content of the information provided but also elements such as label design and placement on products. A key strength of our laboratory is our expertise in conducting real choice experiments that involve actual payments, enabling us to generate findings that are more reliable than those from standard web-based surveys. For example, in 2024, we partnered with a private company to conduct in-store sales experiments, demonstrating that freshness labeling can significantly increase sales. Importantly, the scope of our consumer research is not limited to seafood products.
Our laboratory also has strong expertise in LCA. This allows us to calculate how much lower the environmental impact of a new activity or product is compared to conventional alternatives. In 2022, we demonstrated that mackerel species caught by large- and medium-scale purse seine fisheries in the North Pacific have a remarkably smaller carbon footprint than other seafood products and animal protein sources. Today, evidence of low environmental impact, as well as corporate efforts to reduce it, is increasingly valued in the marketplace.
If you are interested in conducting LCA, or in leveraging LCA results to increase sales, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate.
