Join us

Undergraduate Students (For 2nd-Year Undergraduate Students)

Research Topics

Management Information Systems, Tourism Informatics, Digital Marketing, Content Design, Web/Mobile App Development, Data Science, AI Application, Simulation, etc.

Mission

To support digital transformation (DX) in all fields—including business, policy, tourism, and healthcare—through the power of digital technology.

Research Activities

We work on DX initiatives (including AI implementation) and data analysis across a wide range of fields.

Examples: Students collect and analyze real-world data such as location data, foot traffic/behavior data, app/website logs, survey data, SNS data, camera/sensor data, and road network data using a variety of analytical methods.

We collaborate with local governments, public organizations, cultural/tourist facilities, and private companies to support their DX—from planning and implementation to data collection, analysis, and reporting. Students may join these activities if desired. Web/smartphone app development, AI application, and video content production are also available. In some cases, machine learning models are trained for classification and simulation tasks.

The above themes are examples only. We are open to discussing other topics students propose. Please refer to past graduation research themes for reference.

Who We Are Looking For

• Regardless of major, someone who wants to CREATE—not just consume—digital tools and information services.
• Someone who keeps deadlines, meeting times, and commitments.
• Someone who can cooperate and work as a team with fellow lab members.

How the Seminar Works

• In the 3rd year, the seminar meets once a week with all members. Seminars are not held during summer/spring breaks except for special events (e.g., summer camp).
• 3rd year, spring semester: Set up research environment, read reference books together
• 3rd year, fall semester: Group project research in teams of 2–3 (fieldwork off-campus as needed)
• In the 4th year, there is no fixed seminar time. Each student schedules individually to work on their graduation thesis.

Events

• Welcome tea party, summer camp, thesis presentation wrap-up party, etc.
• Conference presentations are encouraged for interested students.

Selection Process

Selection is based on a comprehensive evaluation of GPA and credit completion (with particular emphasis on foundation course credits), interview, and application essay.

---

Research Students (For Those Seeking Graduate Admission)

The laboratory has reached its maximum capacity and is not currently accepting new research students from outside the university. We are unable to respond to any inquiries by email, and we do not accept CVs. Due to the extremely high volume of inquiries we receive, individual responses are not possible. We ask for your understanding in advance.

If you are interested in applying directly to the graduate program without first enrolling as a research student, please refer to the Graduate Program section below.

---

Graduate Program (Master’s / Doctoral)

We welcome researchers who can define their own research questions and independently lead their work. We are looking for individuals with the initiative and self-direction to think, act, and drive their research forward—without waiting for instructions.

Who We Are Looking For

• Someone who can advance research independently with strong initiative and self-direction
• Someone with a strong interest in their research topic and the perseverance to sustain long-term effort
• Someone who can actively contribute to lab projects and collaborative research
• International students must hold JLPT N1 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test, Level N1)

If you are interested in applying, please contact the faculty supervisor (Watanabe) by email when the application period approaches.

For Those Seeking Admission as a Research Student (Kenkyusei)

If you are hoping to enroll as a research student (kenkyusei) with the goal of entering the master’s (first-phase doctoral) program: we are not currently accepting research students. Please apply directly to the master’s program instead. Please contact us when the application period approaches. Please note that we are not able to respond to preliminary inquiries at this time.