Born in 1954, he is an architectural historian who studies the history of Asian cities, architecture, and spaces, as well as modern Asian architecture and the preservation and revitalization of local communities. He is a professor at the Integrated Earth Environmental Studies Institute and at the Institute of Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo, and co-chair of the International Nakanaka Heritage Committee for Buildings to Pass On to the Next Generation. Since 2011, he has served as an instructor at the Children’s Architecture School.