On August 1, 2015, I began conducting empirical research at Hitotsubashi University’s Institute of Economic Research. Prior to that, as an administrator at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), I participated in the planning and writing of the Annual Health, Labour and Welfare Report and was involved in national and local government policies that aimed at supporting the independence of single-parent households, addressing low birth rates, providing for the raising of children, and tackling childhood poverty.
I am currently conducting two types of research; the first concerns child-rearing and education. As a co-researcher at the National Center for Child Health and Development, I am conducting empirical research on action determinants in child-rearing and education in children’s early childhood and school age. This research identifies their influence on children’s growth by using questionnaire data from the “Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century,” a panel survey conducted by MHLW.
My second area of research concerns employment of the elderly. I am participating in a study group investigating employment of the elderly for the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT). I am also conducting empirical research on the effects of health status and nursing care burdens on the employment of those aged over 60 by using questionnaire data from the “Survey on Employment and Lives of the Over-60s,” conducted by JILPT.
The first seven months have passed too quickly; time seems to have flown. I do hope you will continue to guide and encourage me in the future.