Publications

Conceptual Positioning of Our Publications

The body of work produced in the laboratory represents not a collection of isolated themes, but a strategically continuous development. Our research has evolved from rigorous basic neuroscience to physiological measurement in real-world environments, industry–academia collaboration, and educational and institutional implementation.

Across these stages, a consistent concern has guided our work: to understand human cognition, affect, and motivation—including their temporal dimension— and to connect that understanding to practical implementation in society. This accumulated trajectory is currently being reorganized and integrated under an overarching research framework that we call Future Brain Science.

Research Development

Future Brain Science did not emerge as a sudden conceptual proposal. Rather, it has developed organically through more than two decades of neuroscience research, over a decade of laboratory leadership, and sustained engagement in field settings and institutional implementation.

1. Precision studies of neural mechanisms

We have conducted fundamental research on the neural mechanisms of vision, olfaction, memory, and affect, establishing a methodological foundation grounded in careful experimental design and quantitative analysis.

2. Extending neuroscience into real-world contexts

Through projects such as the “Neuroscience of Bonfires” and multiple collaborative studies, we have advanced the integration of physiological measurement and psychological evaluation in naturalistic environments. Our aim has been to design evaluation indices that remain scientifically rigorous while being practically deployable.

3. From intervention to institutional implementation

We have pursued intervention studies, including neurofeedback research, linking neural plasticity to cognitive enhancement. In parallel, we have promoted institutional implementation— introducing Future Design into a large-scale required course at Kyushu University and establishing the Future Design Consortium. These initiatives provide a real-world context for examining future-oriented decision-making and intrinsic motivation.

4. Integration into Future Brain Science

Building on these foundations, we are integrating neuroscientific measurement with structured approaches to long-horizon thinking, exploring the neural basis of sustainable motivation and decision-making across extended time scales.

List of Publications and Activities

Detailed lists of journal articles, books, theses, and presentations are available on the respective pages. Each output is systematically organized in relation to the research developments described above. The structure below reflects this developmental continuity.