The Ethiopia FS has served as a base for supporting research activities in Northeast Africa for researchers and on-site educations for graduate students. It was established in 2003 within the South Omo Research Centre (SORC) in southwestern Ethiopia (Jinka City) under the 21st Century COE Programme-Aiming for COE of Integrated Area Studies (2002-2006). Kyoto University has been conducting anthropological research in this area since the 1980s. Based at the Ethiopia Field Station, it has supported the smooth progress of area studies by organizing international seminars and workshops, hosting internships, and conducting study tours. Since 2018, in collaboration with the Kyoto University Africa Office established at Addis Ababa University, it has also been involved in the educational and research activities of Kyoto University faculty members, research fellows and students. Following the handover of SORC to Jinka University, it has been developing engaged area studies in collaboration with outreach programs in Jinka University.
The role of the Ethiopia Field Station
Education/Support for fieldwork/Support for joint research projects in collaboration with counterpart institutions/Support for studying in Ethiopia for Japanese students/Support for international students/Support for the Aluminum network/Collecting information on study abroad & researches in Ethiopia/International public relation/Strengthen collaborations with counterparts institutions
Counterpart institutions
Addis Ababa University/ Addis Ababa Science and Technology University/ Arbaminch University/ Jinka University South Omo Research Center
Activities based at the Ethiopia Field Station
Educational activities (2003–present)
・Innovative Africa: Educational Networking Programs for Human Resource Development in Africa’s SDGs（AY2020-AY2024）
https://iafp.africa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/
・Inter-Graduate School Program for Sustainable Development and Survivable Societies（AY2011-AY2022）
http://www.gss.kyoto-u.ac.jp/
・Kaikaku-program（AY2008-AY2010）
https://www.asafas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/kaikaku/
・International Training Program（AY2007-AY2012）
https://www.asafas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/itp/english/index.html
・21 COE Program（AY2007-AY2011）
https://areainfo.asafas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/efs/
・Miryoku-program（AY2006-AY2007）
・ GCOE Program（AY2003-AY2006）
https://www.humanosphere.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/staticpages/index.php/efs.html
Thesis supported by the Ethiopia Field Station (2003–present)
Noriko Suzuki “Care in Contemporary African Communities: Primary Health by Residents and Health Care Workers in Regional City, Ethiopia”(2025)
Addisu Meseret Tadesse “The Regulation and Utilization of Private Child Daycare Centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia” (2023)
Argachew Bochena Elisi “Rural Road Accessibility and the Change of Enset Agriculture in Aari Zone, Ethiopia” (2023)
Kassahun Yemane Birhanu “Community Participation in Rural Road Development Process in Aari Zone, Ethiopia” (2023)
Eunji Choi “Weaving the Networks of In/formality in African Urban Transport:
Ethnography of Tera Askebari in Addis Ababa” (2021)
Hana Shimoyama “Changing Foodways in the Ethiopian Highlands: Introduction of the New Crop Triticale to Gamo Zone” (2021)
Kana Matsubara “Factory Work in Africa: Skill Formation, Corporate Organization, and Labor Market of the Leather-Shoe Industry in Ethiopia”(2021)
Chiharu Kamimura “Food and Eating in an Ethiopian Village of Amhara Region: Ethnography of the Well-being in Daily Life”(2020)
Yuka Kodama “Rural Transformation in Ethiopia: Women’s Land Rights and Livelihoods in the Amhara Region”(2019)
Azeb Girmai “Cultural Tourism as Creating Opportunities for livelihood Diversification in Ethiopia” (2019)
Mariko Noguchi “Life and Social Relationships of the Elderly in African Agricultural
Communities:A Case Study of the Aari in Southwestern Ethiopia” (2015)
Haruka Arii “Life Stories of Women in Rural Ethiopia: Their Acceptance and Interpretation of School Education” (2015)
Samuel Tefera Alemu “Re-harmonizing the Changes in Livestock Mobility, Land Use and Sedentarization in Hamer, Southwestern Ethiopia” (2014)
Toshikazu Tanaka “Area Study of Indigenous Plowing System in Africa: The Potential of Ox-
plow Agriculture among the Oromo of the Central Ethiopian Highlands” (2013)
Yui Sunano “Life Style and Agriculture of the People Having Sorghum Beer for Subsistence:
A Case Study of Dirashe Area in Southern Ethiopia” (2013)
Yoshimasa Ito “Ethnoecology of the Coffee Forest: Human-Nature Relationships in Mountainous Forest Area of Southwestern Ethiopia” (2011)
Shinichiro Hisada “Participatory Area Studies Utilizing P3DM(Participatory 3 Dimensional Modeling) in Ethiopian Agrarian Village: An Interface Development for Practical Use of Spatial Information”(2011)
Dilu Shaleka Teshome “Projecting Continuity, Embracing Diversity: The Experience of Religious Change by Sidama People of Ethiopia”(2011)
Itsushi Kawase “Are Studies on the Interactive Visual-representation in Africa” (2009)
Yasuaki Sato “Studies on the Formation of Life-world of African Cultivators: Ethnoscience of Banana among the Baganda, Central Uganda” (2008)
Toru Sagawa “Dynamics of War and Peace in East African Pastoral Societies: Inter-Ethnic Relations between the Daasanach and their Neighboring Peoples” (2008)
ASANTE Belle “Community Engagement in Cultural Heritage Management: Case Studies of Museums in Harar and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia” (2007)
Makoto Nishi “Creating Counterpublics through the Activity of Community Based Organizations: The Cases of Gurage Road Construction Organization and Burial Associations in Ethiopia” (2006)
Morie Kaneko “Contextualizing the process of pottery making: Learning praxis, and creativity of community-based technology by woman craft workers among the Ari, Southwestern Ethiopia” (2005)
Daniel Baheta “The Dynamics of Formal Education during Wartime and Its Impact on the Rural People of Eritrea” (2004)
Nobuko Nishizaki “Formation of Community Conservation for Wildlife Management in Ethiopia” (2004)
Mamo Hebo Wabe “Land, Local Custom and State ‘Laws’: A Study of Land Tenure Systems and Land Disputes Settlements among Arsii Oromo, Southern Ethiopia” (2003)
International collaborative research activities (2003–present)
・A Biocultural Study on Traditional Food Systems and Nutritional Health in Ethiopia（AY2025 JSPS Invitational Fellowships for Research in Japan[Long-term, PI: Evrim Tekeli）
・A Study on the formation of Livelihood Technologies in Ethiopia（ISHIZUE-AY2025, PI: M.Kaneko）
・Contemporary History of Dietary Systems in Africa: A Focus on the Influence of
Introduced Crops and Cooking Methods, (Hakubi Project, AY2025-AY2030, PI: Hana Shimoyama）
・Development and Operation Model of Plant-derived Soil Additives for Road Disaster Reduction on Problematic Soil (SATREPS, AY2019-AY2024, PI: Makoto Kimura, Co-I: Masayoshi Shigeta, Morie Kaneko）
・Anthropological study on the acquisition of skills, improving proficiency and sharing of tacit knowledge (Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A), AY2020-AY2024, PI: Morie Kaneko)
・Formation of the concept on waste and transformation of materiality in Africa (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) [AY2018-AY2022], PI: Morie Kaneko）
・Comparative studies on gender-based local knowledge in modern Africa (Fostering Joint International Research, [AY2017-AY2019], PI: Morie Kaneko)
・Formation in innovative practices and mechanism of materiality on Pottery making in Africa (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)[AY2014-AY2017], PI: Morie Kaneko）
・Futurability of Teff-Ensete Agriculture in Ethiopia: Its Nutritional and Socio-Cultural Study (JSPS-PD [AY2014-AY2015], PI: Masayoshi Shigeta, CO-I: BEDADA TADESSA）
・ Techno-cultural complex as creative practice and a form of spontaneous development in Africa ((Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), [AY2010-AY2012], PI: Morie Kaneko）
・Engaged Area Studies in the Arena of African Local-Knowledge Formation and Sharing: Seeking for the new images of community (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), [AY2011-AY2015], PI: Masayoshi Shigeta, CO-I:Morie Kaneko）
・Formation of African Local Knowledge and their Positive Practice : Area Studies Aproach (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), [AY2011-AY2015], PI: Masayoshi Shigeta）
・Studies on the diversity of sleep culture in Asia and Africa (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, (C)[AY2008-AY2010], PI: Masayoshi Shigeta）
・Comparative studies on Ensete livelihood systems in southwestern Ethiopia: Area studies approach (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), [AY2003-AY2006], PI: Masayoshi Shigeta）