Dr. Hasunuma’s research interests include the politics of central-local relations in Japan, Japan’s evolving relationship with South Korea, and the development of institutions and policies designed to promote gender equality in Japan. She is currently working on a project related to the Gender Equality Bureau and another on women’s activism in post-Fukushima Japan. She has published on the politics of decentralization, Koizumi’s institutional reforms, and the impact of the Komeito on policies affecting women and children.