Fabio GYGI

Fabio GYGI is a Lecturer in Japanese Anthropology at SOAS University of London, specializing in material culture, medical anthropology, and human-robot interaction. He holds a PhD from University College London (2010) and previously worked at Doshisha University in Kyoto before joining SOAS in 2010.

His research focuses on human-object relations, particularly processes of object elimination in cultural contexts, ethnographic studies of hoarding in Tokyo, and medicalization of accumulation behaviors. He also explores commemorative rituals involving dolls and animism in technology.

Recent projects include a FFJ/Air Liquide 2022 collaboration examining human-robot interactions in Parisian public spaces, analyzing how robots' identities (gender, ethnicity, capabilities) are socially constructed through ethnographic observation.

Key publications address material culture dynamics in post-bubble Japan, robotics in Japan and the EU, and the anthropology of talismans/dolls. His work bridges cultural anthropology, science studies, and technology ethics.