Mire Koikari

Dr. Mire Koikari is a Professor and Graduate Chair at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Born in Tokyo, Japan, she earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (1997), alongside an MS (1990) and a BA in English from Sophia University (1988). Her research examines the intersections of gender, race, nationalism, and imperialism in Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on historical and contemporary dynamics of militarism and empire.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 1997
• MS in Sociology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 1990
• BA in English, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan, 1988

Research Interests:

Dr. Koikari analyzes how gender, race, and nation shape lived experiences, particularly in contexts of U.S. imperialism. Her work includes studies of the post-WWII U.S. occupation of Japan and Okinawa, and the post-2011 Tohoku disaster’s impact on Japan’s security culture. She employs archival methods to uncover marginalized narratives, linking individual lives to broader historical forces like militarism and nationalism.

Awards: None listed.

Advising/Grants: No information available on advising or grants.

Labs/Teams: No lab or team affiliations mentioned.