He is a member of the Heinrich Heine University research group “Age(ing): Cultural Concepts and Practical Realisations”. His research focuses mainly on four topics: Japanese gardens in the West, aging society and welfare in Japan, Japanese communities worldwide and sports mega-events. He has been a team liaison officer for the Japanese squads at the FIFA World Cups 2006 and 2011. His new book Spaces of Translation: Japanese Gardens in the West (University of Pennsylvania Press) is forthcoming in summer 2014.