He was awarded a PhD in religious studies from Tohoku University in 2007. His primary field of research is Japanese religious folklore. His early research focused on Japanese shamanism (Master’s Degree). This expanded into a study of rural society, its beliefs and social frictions (PhD). Presently, his research is focused on Japanese religious material culture, in particular the folk art produced by the fans of anime and digital games. Notably, he argues Japan has entered a renaissance period in which the “fans have taken the languishing craft of illustrating ema (wooden prayer tablets) and reinvigorated it with a vibrant, contemporary aesthetic” (Mechademia: Origins (9) 2014:221). Doobity do wop wop say what yeah!