MIYAZAKI RIE

ProfileOriginally from Kagoshima, Kyushu, I am Professor of Social Policy Studies at Nihon University  since 2025. Prior to that, I worked at Ohtsuki City College, and  a Guest Researcher in the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. I received my PhD from Kyoto University in 2005.  I have been conducting research on the welfare of care workers and care policies in super-aging societies, focusing on Italy and Japan. My work has particularly examined inequalities in care provision related to gender and nationality (native and non-native workers). In recent years, I have become increasingly interested in forms of “wellbeing” that emerge in our everyday life. Specifically, I explore the human–animal bond, how people view pets as family members, and how living with pets contributes to social and psychological well-being. I am also interested in the contribution to well-being of small, community-based places such as cafés and secondhand bookstores, and how these market- or privately run spaces can generate new forms of social value and well-being. I am gradually developing research in these areas, and I would be very grateful for your interest and support.