“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”
—Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Scandal in Bohemia” in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

I use quantitative methods to study stratification and inequality based on sexuality and gender as well as sexual and gender minority populations from a queer and feminist perspective. In particular, I am interested in (1) the association between sexual orientation and gender identity, and socioeconomic status; (2) the measurement of sexual orientation and gender identity in quantitative research; (3) sexual/gender minorities and social attitudes; and (4) queer and feminist methodologies.

For a complete list of publications and research experience, please see my CV here.

Data Collection Experience

Due to the scarcity of data on sexual orientation and gender identity in Japan, I have engaged in primary data collection for my research and designed multiple, large-scale social surveys. I hold the Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher issued by the Japanese Association for Social Research. Below is a list of the major surveys that I have been involved in:

  1. The “National Survey of Family, Gender/Sexuality, and Diversity” (one of the few nationally representative surveys with questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in Japan, conducted in February-March 2023)
  2. The “niji VOICE” surveys (a series of web surveys of LGBTQ work and life in Japan, conducted almost annually since 2014 by the certified nonprofit organization Nijiiro Diversity)
    • Muraki, Maki, Daiki Hiramori, Jun Mikami, and Kei Yamawaki. 2024. niji VOICE 2023 Report: A Survey of LGBTQ+ Work and Life in Japan, edited by the certified nonprofit organization Nijiiro Diversity. Osaka, Japan. Translated by Taylor Hamilton.
    • Certified Nonprofit Organization Nijiiro Diversity, Daiki Hiramori, Jun Mikami, and Kei Yamawaki. 2023. niji VOICE 2022: A Survey on LGBTQ Work and Life [MRDF]. Osaka, Japan: Certified Nonprofit Organization Nijiiro Diversity [producer/depositor]. Tokyo, Japan: Center for Social Research and Data Archives, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo [distributor].
  3. The second “Survey on Ideas about Being Men and Women and Social Attitudes” (one of the few nationally representative surveys of attitudes toward various sexual and gender minorities in Japan, conducted in June-July 2019)

Sexual/Gender Minorities and Socioeconomic Inequality

In this project, I examine inequality in socioeconomic status based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Japan. In my dissertation “Sexuality Stratification in Contemporary Japan: A Study in Sociology,” I used the Osaka City Residents’ Survey, one of the few population-based surveys that asks about sexual orientation in Japan, to explore the association between sexual orientation and educational attainment, occupational segregation, and earnings disparities in Japan. The research for this dissertation was partially supported by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies at the University of Washington, Japan Center for Economic Research, and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP16H03709 “Demography of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Building a Foundation for Research in Japan.”

Demography of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

I am involved in the research project “Constructing a Demography of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Nationwide Random Sampling Survey” to examine how to quantitatively understand sexual and gender minority populations while taking the Japanese context into account. I am also interested in describing the diversity of sexual and romantic orientations from a demographic perspective.

Attitudes toward Sexual/Gender Minorities

Originally started as senior thesis research on attitudes toward same-sex sexual relations, this project investigates the factors associated with attitudes toward sexual/gender minorities in Japan, with a focus on the Buddhist faith.

Quantitative Queer Methodology

In this project, I explore the possibility of using quantitative methods from a queer perspective. Drawing from emerging literature on queer approaches to quantitative data collection and analysis, this project aims to illustrate how quantitative research may be used to empirically evaluate the claims of queer theory and how queer theory, in turn, may be used to inform quantitative research.

Other Research and Program Evaluation Experience

In addition to the projects mentioned above, I have been involved in various research projects related to gender and sexuality. Between March 2017 and March 2022, I also worked at the Center for Evaluation & Research for STEM Equity at the University of Washington as a graduate research assistant. My evaluation style centers on the perspective of diversity, equity, and inclusion for a more equitable representation of systemically marginalized populations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational fields.

Figures from “Understanding Sexual Orientation Identity, Sexual/Romantic Attraction, and Sexual Behavior beyond Western Societies: The Case of Japan”