My recent work is on the Ethnic Identity of Okinoerabu Islanders in Japan. Okinoerabu Island, where I am from, is a border island between Okinawa and mainland Japan, in both geographical and administrative sense. As former members of Ryukyu Kingdom, Okinoerabu islanders continue to practice traditional culture which is close to Okinawa culture. Many, therefore, feel an emotional attachment to an Okinawan identity. However, they do not think themselves as Okinawan because they do not belong to Okinawa prefecture. Politically and administratively Okinoerabu belongs to Kagoshima prefecture of mainland Japan. As a result, many Okinoerabu islanders do not fully identify either as Okinawan or Yamatonchu (mainland Japanese in fork term), but as something in- between."
In 2006 the result of my research was published as a book entitled Anthropology of a Border Island -the layered identities of Okinoerabu islanders (The Iha Fuyu Award). To compare my findings with other border culture and to develop the notion of border, I focus on ethnicity, gender, transnationalism, religion in the various kinds of border in Europe such as Alzas in France and Netherlands/Belgium cultural border. In addition, I expand my research area in the other Amami islands such as Tokuno Island and Kikai Island as border islands.