Message from a Graduate Student of the Graduate School of Economics

In the Graduate School of Economics, I mainly study economic geography. My supervisor is Professor Mizuki Kawabata, and I have been under her guidance since my undergraduate seminar. Through two years in the Kawabata seminar, my interest in economic analysis using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) grew, leading me to apply for graduate school.

Every semester, I participate in a seminar course jointly taught by Professor Kawabata and Professor Naoi, whose specialization is close to hers. There are many international students as well. Since it is a seminar format, participating students conduct literature reviews and present their own research. I can receive regular feedback on my research from professors and peers. In addition, I take courses in economic theory, history, and thought, and I commute to campus about three times a week. I also frequently visit the library to consult literature for my research.

My research subject is sento (public baths). I started researching them during my undergraduate years because of my personal passion for them. Since the maximum bathing fee for sento is set by the Price Control Ordinance, the price adjustment mechanism does not function. From an economic perspective, it is a somewhat peculiar place, and while their numbers continue to decline as users decrease, I believe the role sento have played within cities and regions is noteworthy. When I first entered graduate school, I intended to conduct an econometric analysis of sento locations, but my interest gradually shifted toward qualitative research. Currently, I am conducting fieldwork while working part-time at an actual sento. I plan to summarize my findings in my master's thesis from the perspective of urban commons.

In the Graduate School of Economics, the number of credits required for graduation is not that high, so I feel I have a lot of free time. As long as you have a proactive attitude toward studying, the environment to support that is well-established. Furthermore, there are many professors and students who listen with interest to the stories of students like me who are conducting unusual research.

To everyone considering taking the entrance exam, if you have even the slightest desire to deepen your current interests, why not take that first step?