Prof. Shigeto Sonoda is a professor of sociology and Asian studies at the University of Tokyo.  After his 19 years’ service for private universities, Prof. Sonoda went back to his alma mater in 2009 when he was appointed as professor both at the Interfaculty Initiative for Information Studies and Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (former Institute of Oriental Culture) .

 Prof. Sonoda has taken initiatives in conducting researches including AsiaBarometer 2003-2008, Asia Student Survey 2008-2018, Tianjin Annual Survey 1997-2014. His special interest is in social stratification and globalization of cultures in Asia, and localization process of Japanese company in Asian countries.  His latest publications include: Japan-China Exchange: Half-a-Century History of Human Interactions (editor), University of Tokyo Press (2025, in Japanese), Japan-China Relations, 2001-2022 (Co-editor with Takahara Akio, Maruikawa Tomoo, and Kawashima Shin), University of Tokyo Press (2023, in Japanese),  Uzbek Migrants and Japanese Society (Co-editor with Timur Dadabaev), University of Tokyo Press (2023 in Japanese), Global Views of China: Empirical Analysis of Their Trends (Co-editor with Yu Xie), University of Tokyo Press (2021, in Japanese), National Sentiments in Asia, Chuo Koron (2020, in Japanese), China Impact: Threat Perception in the Asia-Pacific Region (Co-editor with David S.G.Goodman), University of Tokyo Press (2018, in Japanese),  How to Cope with ‘China Risks’: The Challenges of Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese Firms (co-editor with Michael Hsiao Hsin-Huang), University of Tokyo Press (2016, in Japanese).

Prof. Sonoda has worked with a lot of prominent Asian scholars including Profs. Han Joon (Yonsei Univ.),  Yoon In-jin (Korea Univ.), Park Joon-shik (Hallym Univ.) in Korea, Profs. Michael Hsiao H.H. (Academia Sinica), Su Kuo-hsien (National Taiwan Univ.), Wang Jenn-hwan (National Chengchi Univ.) in Taiwan, Profs. Li Chunling (CASS), Li Lulu (Renmin University of China), Pan Yunkang (TASS), Lui Tai-lok (EdUHK) in China, Yu Xie (Princeton Univ.) in US, Chen Minglu (Univ. of Sydney) in Australia, and so on.

Prof. Sonoda initiated a lot of research/academic activities, and the most recent ones are “Frontier of Comparative Studies of Asian Studies” (2010-12 FY)  “Educational Program for Young Scholars on ‘Asia Globalization Studies'” (2009-2012 FY), both of which were financially supported by Japan Society for Promotion of Science. Prof. Sonoda is now one of the core members of new type of graduate education program “Integrated Human Studies for Cultural Diversity” in the University of Tokyo. Prof. Sonoda has also been serving as director for Beijing Center for Japanese Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University in China since 2018.