Date and Place of Birth: June 18, 1958; Yokohama, Japan
Current Position: Professor, Ashikaga University
Division of Renewable Energy and Environment
Director, Collaborative Research Center at
Ashikaga University
Chair, International Exchange Committee at
Ashikaga University
Contact: Ashikaga University
268-1 Omae-cho, Ashikaga-shi, Tochigi-pref., 326-8558 Japan
Tel; 0284-62-0605, Fax 0284-62-9802


Majoring Field
Solar Thermal Applications (especially in small scale), History of Mechanical Engineering,
R&D on Appropriate Technology for Developing Countries.

Education and Degrees
1981: Bachelors of Eng.( Mechanical Engineering), Sophia University, Tokyo
1983: Masters of Eng.( Mechanical Engineering), Sophia University, Tokyo
1986: Doctor of Engineering, Sophia University, Tokyo

Academic Appointments
1986 to 1989: Research Associate, Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Illinois University at Urbana Champaign
1989 to 2005: Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Ashikaga Inst. of Tech.
2006 to present: Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Ashikaga Inst. of Technology
2010 to present: Chair, Division of Renewable Energy and Environment, Ashikaga Inst. of Technology
2009 to present: Director of Collaborative Research Center, Ashikaga Institute of Technology
2010 to present: Professor, Graduate-school of Engineering, Ashikaga University
2006 to 2007: Head of Tochigi Area, Kanto Division of Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineering

Membership of Professional Organization
Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Solar Cookers International Association
Japan Wind Energy Association
Japan Society for History of Technology
The Society of Rheology, Japan
The Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies
Japan Society for Composite Materials

Research Expertise and Interests
Research activities are mainly focused on renewable energy connected matters.
・Development of high performance panel-type solar cookers for the areas of low sun elevation
・Development of compact box-type solar cookers with/without booster mirrors
・Development of concentrator-type solar cookers with high robustness
・Reconstruction of historical solar cookers in Japan
・Education for sustainable development through effective teaching materials
・Research on gyroscopic forces on blades of small-scale wind turbines
・Vibration characteristics of aeolian harps
・Development of solar dryer, etc.

Keywords : Solar cooker, Solar thermal application, Wind power generation, Renewable energy, Structural stability, Vibration of structures, History of technology, Development of appropriate technology for developing countries, Association technology for developing countries, etc.

Books
・Cooking with the sun by solar cooker (1995, Power Co.) (in Japanese)
・First Step in Mechanics of Materials (2007, Kyoritsu Shuppan Co., Ltd.) (in Japanese)
・Innovation from Ashikaga (2008, Shimotsuke Shinbun Shinsho) (in Japanese)
・Fundamental Mechanics of Materials (2009, Nisshin Shuppan Co., Ltd.) (in Japanese)

Juried Publications
・Yaw Behavior of Horizontal-Axis Small Wind Turbines in an Urban Area, Wind Engineering, pp.19-30, 2009
・Optimum Arrangements of Collective Concentrators in Solar-Cookers, Journal of Arid Land Studies Desert Technology III, pp.151,154, 1995
・Response of Simply Supported and Clamped Circular Plates to Thermal Impact, J. Sound and Vibration, 122, pp. 347-356, 1988
・I Response of Circular Plates to Thermal Impact, J. Sound and Vibration, 95, pp. 213-222, 1984
・Gyroscopic Effect on the Blades of Small-Scale Wind Turbines, RENEWABLE ENERGY 2006 Proceedings CD-ROM, 2006
・DEVELOPMENT OF HEAT-BOX TYPE SOLAR COOKER AS EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, Solar Cookers and Food Processing 2006 International Conference CD-ROM, 2006
・Technical Assistance for Developing Countries through Appropriate Technology, Proceedings of International Conference on Mechanical Engineering, 2001
・Optimum Configurations of a Small/Medium-Scale Wind Turbine Towers based on its Dynamic Characteristics, World Renewable Energy Congress-VI　pp.1201-1204, 2000
・Indispensable Requirements to Improve Solar Ovens for the Use in Japan and their Prospect, World Renewable Energy Congress-V, pp.2281-2283, 1998
・Dynamic Characteristics of Small/Medium-Scale Towers for Different Shapes and Supports, European Wind Energy Conference & Exhibition, pp.587-590, 1997
・Optimum Arrangements of Reflectors in Solar Ovens for the Use in Districts at Middle Latitudes as Japan, Third International Conference on Solar Cookers - Use and Technology, 1997
・Optimum Arrangements of Parabolic Mirrors as Collective Concentrators in Solar　cookers, The Second International Conference on New Energy Systems and Conversions, Pp53-58, 1995
・Optimum Use of Sunlight in Solar-cookers, World Renewable Energy Congress,1994
・Post-Buckling Behavior of AS4/J1 Thermoplastic-Matrix Composite Laminates in Viscoelastic Creep Range, US-Japan Conference on Composite Materials, pp.330-337, 1992
・High-Temperature Fatigue Crack Growth of SCS6/Ti-6Al-4V Metal-Matrix Composites, US-Japan Conference on Composite Materials, pp.329-336, 1990
・Viscoelastic Creep Post Buckling Behavior of AS4/J1 Thermoplastic-Matrix Composite Laminates, IUTAM Symposium, Inelastic Deformation of Composite Materials, pp.727-739, 1990
・Elevated Temperature Creep Buckling of Thermoplastic-Matrix Fiber Composites under Biaxial Loading, US-Japan Conference on Composite Materials, pp.696-731, 1988
, etc.