Yugo Tomonaga received his Ph.D. from the Department of Area Studies at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies. He is currently a Professor at the Faculty of International Studies, Ryukoku University. Previously, he has held positions as a Visiting Fellow at the National Museum of Ethnology and as a Research Fellow with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Since 2020, he has been a Visiting Researcher at the Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies at Hokkaido University, and from September 2022 to March 2023, he served as a Visiting Researcher at the Faculty of East Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge.
His primary areas of expertise include social and cultural anthropology, with a focus on Indigenous Studies and Minority Studies in Australia and Japan. Professor Tomonaga’s recent publications include “The Repatriation of Indigenous Ancestral Remains in Australia and Japan: From National to Global Efforts” (Japan Forum, 2024), “Study Tour for Mutual Understanding between Japan and Australia” (Journal of Oriental Studies, 2024), and “Dispute over the Recognition of Indigenous Peoples in the Lawsuit Calling for the Return of the Ryukyuan Remains” (The International Journal of Human Rights, 2024). His research explores issues related to Indigenous rights, cultural and environmental preservation, and the global dynamics of repatriation efforts.