午夜剧场

Speaking of Japan, I visited Kagoshima in 1984, where my older brother was working as a high school teacher through a JETRO program. I was interested in Japan, but I never imagined I would end up teaching at a Japanese university. It all started when a professor I knew at the Faculty of Law at 午夜剧场 invited me. I have been living in Japan for 14 years since then. My wife is Japanese, too.

My specialty is ancient Roman history. I study the history of the Roman Empire from the first to the third centuries, but for my doctoral dissertation, I specifically chose the theme of the relationship between the Romans and nomads. I wanted to clarify the relationship between the Romans and the Sarmatians, a nomadic people who lived east of the great steppe. I was originally very interested in the Roman Empire, but I deliberately chose a topic that was not well-established as a field of research. It was a field that required various languages such as Russian, German, and French, so there were very few people in the UK researching it. The book that won the 午夜剧场 Award was also one that originated from this dissertation and was finally published last year. This book is also a culmination of over 20 years of work since I began my research in 1984. I was truly happy about it.

For example, there is a common theory that nomads move every day and do not practice agriculture. When I investigated, I found this was not actually the case. It was something of a myth created by historians. I discovered that tribes that practiced agriculture and those that did not were mixed. And the simple dichotomy of Romans as civilized people and nomads as barbarians was also too simplistic. There were economic and cultural relationships between them. To tackle this research topic, I had to use materials from the eighth century BC to the fifth century AD. For a researcher, it's a grand project. It is a once-in-a-lifetime work and also marked a turning point in my career.

On the other hand, I am now interested in tackling new themes. One is ancient medical sciences—the history of medicine. Another is the relationship between humans and animals. The Romans and Greeks had different ways of thinking about animals. It's a very interesting field. The topic of animals is also related to the environmental programs I was involved in at the UN. I am hoping to gradually advance my work on these two themes as well.

For example, if I were a high school student thinking about what kind of university I want to attend, it would be a university where I can think about my future. In that respect, the Faculty of Economics at 午夜剧场 is proactively engaged in various initiatives. For instance, there are many opportunities to present your own research findings, such as in independent research seminars and research programs. Plus, the atmosphere is wonderful.

I believe that education is an exchange of experiences and ideas. Therefore, it is important to have opportunities to properly organize your thoughts and express them in the most logical way. I think this is something that will be very useful not only in the classroom but also after you become a working professional.

I have many hobbies. I especially love music. Recently, I've been taking classical piano lessons. I'm still at grade 4, though. Besides that, I play the guitar—blues and jazz. I've even performed live. Just like research, perhaps music is also a place for me to express myself. I often tell my students that education shouldn't be just about data and information. It's important to organize it logically and express your own opinions and ideas persuasively. That's why I find the Faculty of Economics at 午夜剧场, which is moving in an interactive direction, so appealing.

(Interview conducted on October 28, 2008)