معرفی
Atsushi Nakazawa serves as Professor at Waseda University's School of Sport Sciences in Tokyo, Japan, where he has held positions from Assistant Professor (2009-2015) through Associate Professor (2015-2022) to his current full Professorship. His academic journey began with undergraduate studies at the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Education and Natural Sciences I program, followed by Master's and Doctoral degrees from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Education's Department of Integrated Educational Sciences.
- Professor, School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University (2022-present)
- Associate Professor, School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University (2016-2022)
- Associate Professor, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hitotsubashi University (2015-2016)
- Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hitotsubashi University (2009-2015)
Dr. Nakazawa's research focuses on the sociological and historical relationships between education and sport, with particular emphasis on Japanese school sports systems (bukatsu). His work critically examines how Japan developed its distinctive model of school-based extracurricular sports activities, contrasting it with systems in the United States and United Kingdom where youth sports primarily occur outside school settings. His scholarship explores the tension between educational equality and competitive selectivity within school sports, the historical development of sports federations like the Japan Junior High School Sports Federation, and contemporary challenges including teacher workload, financial sustainability, and the ongoing "regional transition" policy moving club activities out of schools.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals a sophisticated historical sociology approach to understanding the development of Japan's school sports system. His work demonstrates how post-war educational policies shaped the current structure of extracurricular activities, creating what he terms Japan's "unique" school sports culture. Recent research increasingly addresses practical policy implications, particularly regarding the sustainability of the current system and potential reforms.
- 2025 Japan Society of Physical Education and Sociology Award for research on the National Junior High School Athletic Meet
- 2022 Japan Society of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences Award for historical research on the Junior High School Physical Culture Association
- 2022 Sociology for Physical Education Award for the same research
- 2012 Society Encouragement Award for research on teacher motivation in extracurricular sports activities
Dr. Nakazawa actively contributes to academic and public discourse through extensive media appearances, where he provides expert commentary on evolving policies regarding school sports in Japan. His current Japan Society for the Promotion of Science research project (2024-2029) examines youth sports competition systems, focusing on the relationship between education and competition. He also teaches various sociology of sport courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels at Waseda University, mentoring the next generation of sports scholars.
