MARUTA, Koji

  

  

    Affiliation

  

Adjunct Lecturer, College of Image Arts and Sciences, Ritsumeikan University

Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Sociology, Shitennoji University

Institute of Social Theory and Dynamics

 

    Field of Specialization

       Sociology

  

    Research Interests

 My research examines contemporary social issues through qualitative and ethnographic approaches. My work focuses on four main areas.

 

First, Okinawa studies, which analyze social issues in Okinawa, particularly those related to U.S. military bases, tourism development, and regional society.

 

Second, methodologies of social research, with particular emphasis on qualitative methods and fieldwork in sociology.

 

Third, digital society studies, which explore the social implications of digitalization and critically examine the dynamics of the attention economy.

 

Fourth, cultural sociology, especially the sociology of bonsai. In today’s global society—characterized by rapid change, acceleration, and continuous technological updating—I examine bonsai as a living, growing art form that embodies alternative temporalities and distinctive relationships between humans and nature.

 

　

  Keywords

Okinawa Studies; U.S. Military Bases; Tourism Studies; Digital Society; Cultural Sociology; Bonsai Culture

 

Selected Publications

Maruta, Koji. 2001. Who Sells What to Whom? Sex, Love, and Communication in Compensated Dating. Kwansei Gakuin University Press.

Maruta, Koji. 2022. The Sociology of Pokémon GO: Fieldwork × Tourism × Digital Space. Kwansei Gakuin University Press.

Maruta, Koji. 2022. Ethnography of Diving: Tourism Development and Nature Conservation in Okinawa. Seikyusha.

 

Website
ResearchMap https://researchmap.jp/read0165278/works