Michio Naoi - Faculty Interview
Participant Profile
Michio Naoi
Urban Economics, Applied Econometrics2001: Graduated from the Faculty of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ 2003: Completed the Master's Program at the Graduate School of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ 2006: Withdrew from the Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ after earning the required credits. Received Ph.D. in Economics in 2008. After serving as a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡; a Research Lecturer at the Graduate School of Business and Commerce; a Research Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics; and an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Marine Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, he assumed his current position in 2013.
Michio Naoi
Urban Economics, Applied Econometrics2001: Graduated from the Faculty of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ 2003: Completed the Master's Program at the Graduate School of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ 2006: Withdrew from the Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ after earning the required credits. Received Ph.D. in Economics in 2008. After serving as a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Economics, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡; a Research Lecturer at the Graduate School of Business and Commerce; a Research Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics; and an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Marine Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, he assumed his current position in 2013.
Research that began by chance became a main theme after the Great East Japan EarthquakeI want students to cherish chance encounters and take on various challenges
My Research Theme and How I Came Across It
My field of specialization is urban economics, or more broadly, applied econometrics. Currently, among other topics, I am conducting empirical analysis on the relationship between natural disasters and economic behavior. Specific research topics include consumer behavior in disaster prevention and mitigation, perception of disaster risk, and the impact of natural disasters on the real estate market.
I came across my research theme purely by chance. The catalyst was a case study from overseas that I read while searching for a topic for my doctoral dissertation (around 2006, I believe), which analyzed the relationship between disaster risk and real estate prices. In the end, for my doctoral dissertation, I focused on the risk of earthquake disasters and analyzed their impact on household location choices and the real estate market. Although the beginning was coincidental, due to events like the subsequent Great East Japan Earthquake, I have continued to research this as one of my main themes to this day.
The Appeal and Interest of My Research Theme
Economic analysis focusing on natural disasters is not a field with a large accumulation of research globally, and many research topics remain to be explored. The ability to tackle new research topics is simply appealing from a research perspective, but at the same time, I find it rewarding because the theme of natural disasters is also an important policy issue.
A Message for Students
I hope you will cherish chance encounters, take on various challenges, and actively enjoy those challenges. In life, you never know what will be useful later on. Your student years are a time when new "encounters" are constantly born, whether they are new relationships or new things you learn in class. I hope you will cherish and nurture these chance "encounters" and make use of them later in life. This is a message for all of you, the students, and also a message to myself (although I am unfortunately no longer a student). I cherish my encounters with all of you and hope we can take on new challenges together.
(Interview conducted in December 2013)
*Profile and position are as of the time of the interview.