Research in Asia and Africa

One of Kyoto University’s unique strengths is field research. This involves visiting actual locations — mountains, seas, and local communities — walking the land, observing, experiencing firsthand, and sometimes living with local people to obtain valuable insights impossible to gain from desk or lab work alone. The university has pioneered field research in Asia and Africa, establishing a strong tradition in these regions.

In 1965, Japan’s first research organization incorporating “Southeast Asia” in its name was established at KyotoU. Field research there began with studies of local communities, tropical forests, and agricultural technologies, later expanding to disaster prevention, energy, and environmental fields. Since then, the university has maintained long-term connections with ASEAN countries, including institute and university partnerships in all member nations.

Field research in Africa, led by ecologist Kinji Imanishi — considered the founder of Japanese primatology — and others eventually led to studies in cultural anthropology and the establishment of Japan’s first Africa-specific research institution in 1986. Driven by the desire to “understand what makes humans human,” the university has built a history of overseas research, earning it the nickname “explorer university.”

Kyoto University’s field research is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach, leading to new research fields such as “ecological anthropology,” using natural science techniques to study topics such as nutritional intake in hunter-gatherer societies.