Biography
Trained in sociology and policy studies, Aya specializes in civil society studies with focus on the role of nonprofit organizations and voluntary actions in contemporary Japan. Her research asks, is there anything distinctive about civil society, philanthropy, and giving behaviors in Japan? If so, how and why?
She is Professor of Civil Society Studies in the Sociology of Communication Lab, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University in Japan. From October 2025 to June 2026, Aya is a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, supported by the Japan-United States Educational Commission (Fulbright Japan).
Aya publishes in both English and Japanese. Her work has appeared in journals such as Voluntas, Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, The Nonprofit Review, and Nonprofit Policy Forum. She has also contributed to many edited volumes, including "Handbook of Civil Society in Japan" (Edited by Simon Avenell and Akihiro Ogawa, 2025), "Nihon no Kifu wo Kagaku-suru (Doing Science on Giving in Japan)" (Edited by Haruya Sakamoto, 2023), "Global Risk Management: The Role of Collective Cognition in Response to COVID-19" (Edited by Louise K. Comfort and Mary Lee Rhodes, 2022) and "International Encyclopedia of Civil Society" (Edited by Regina A. List, Helmut K. Anheier, and Stefan Toepler, 2022).
She holds a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs and a Master of International Development from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.A. in Social Sciences from Hitotsubashi University (Japan), and a B.A. in Policy Management (Summa Cum Laude) from Keio University (Japan).
Aya aims to actively bridge academic communities in Japan and abroad. She currently serves on the boards of the International Society for Third-Sector Research (ISTR) and Japan Association of Social Relations (JASR), and is a former board member of Japan NPO Research Association (JANPORA).
Back in city of Sendai, Aya is also Vice Director of Mori no Dengonban Yururu, a local nonprofit that supports other nonprofits in Miyagi Prefecture through information sharing, networking, and capacity building. Beyond academia, she organizes workshops and seminars for local nonprofits and government officials, serves on committees of municipal governments, hosts a monthly community radio show, and contributes op-ed articles to a local newspaper on issues related to nonprofits and voluntary actions.