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Kainuma Lab
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The lab reads contemporary society from the field, through Fukushima, communities, and media.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding contemporary society through fieldwork
The Kainuma Lab is built around fieldwork. It studies how contemporary society works and how people's thinking and behavior take shape.
With Fukushima as an important field site, the lab takes on questions that cut across communities, media, science and technology, culture, and education.
Its approach is to move back and forth between on-site observation and people's narratives on one hand, and historical sources, theory, and qualitative and quantitative data on the other.
Graduate students' topics are not limited to Fukushima or disasters. They develop their own questions from their individual interests, such as anime and fan studies, journalism, and urban festivals.
Key terms
- Fieldwork
- A research approach in which researchers visit the site to observe and conduct interviews, and use the materials and data collected there to understand society
- Risk communication
- An effort in which experts, government agencies, residents, and others exchange information and opinions about disaster or health risks in order to deepen mutual understanding
- STEAM education
- A way of learning that combines science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, and tackles problems across the boundaries of school subjects
NewsLab news
Recruiting participants for the UTokyo–Futaba Weekend Internship (December and February)
Fukushima Studies College wins an award at the PLIJ STEAM and Inquiry Grand Prix
Fukushima Studies College's Expression Course wins a Good Design Award 2025
ResearchResearch themes
Centered on fieldwork, the lab studies the structure of contemporary society and the processes through which people's perceptions and behavior take shape. Research proceeds from three angles: the history of large-scale disasters, issues facing disaster-affected areas, and contemporary social theory. The lab also treats inquiry-based and STEAM education itself as an object of research.
*Illustrative imageHistorical Study of Large-Scale Disasters
By examining how nuclear power plants came to be sited in Fukushima and how local communities changed in the lead-up to the earthquake and nuclear accident, the lab considers the relationships between the center and the regions, industry and daily life, and science and technology and society. It also works on the memory, documentation, and transmission of the disaster, including archives.
*Illustrative imageUncovering the Issues and Mechanisms of Disaster-Affected Areas
Combining on-site surveys with quantitative analysis, the lab captures the realities of society after a disaster. With an interest in how misinformation and harmful rumors arise, and in how information spreads and trust is formed, it studies disaster recovery, disaster prevention, and risk communication.
*Illustrative imageContemporary Society Seen Through Inclusion and Exclusion
Using places such as entertainment districts and share houses where young people gather, the lab has examined inclusion in and exclusion from society and how they change. It is now extending its concerns to fan communities and oshi-katsu (activities in support of a favorite idol or character), creative activities, religion, and places where people feel they belong.
*Illustrative imageResearch on Inquiry-Based and STEAM Education
Treating inquiry-based and STEAM education itself as an object of research, the lab develops programs in collaboration with schools, boards of education, and companies, evaluates educational practice, and conducts teacher training.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Kainuma Lab consist of faculty, doctoral and master's students, project researchers, visiting researchers, and academic specialist staff.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorHiroshi KainumaPublications ↗
- Project Lecturer遠藤 健
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Futaba )” inunami / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Historical Study of Large-Scale Disasters: “Fukushima j-village pitch 1” K.F. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Uncovering the Issues and Mechanisms of Disaster-Affected Areas: “Futaba )” inunami / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Contemporary Society Seen Through Inclusion and Exclusion: “Akihabara Main Street south side at night ( by yagi-s)” yagi-s / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Research on Inquiry-Based and STEAM Education: “Experimenting with citrus fruits and syringes in a classroom setting during a science lesson undefined” Shixart1985 / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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