Dai Togane (Appointed in AY2025)
Participant Profile
Dai Togane
Faculty of Economics Associate ProfessorSpecialization: Ecology, Conservation Biology, Herpetology. Graduated from the Department of Animal Science and Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University in 2003. Completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University in 2009; Ph.D. (Agriculture). Held positions at the Japan Wildlife Research Center, Meisei University, Tokyo City University, and as an Assistant Professor at the Keio University Faculty of Economics before assuming current position in 2025. *Profile and title are current as of the time of the interview.
Dai Togane
Faculty of Economics Associate ProfessorSpecialization: Ecology, Conservation Biology, Herpetology. Graduated from the Department of Animal Science and Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University in 2003. Completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University in 2009; Ph.D. (Agriculture). Held positions at the Japan Wildlife Research Center, Meisei University, Tokyo City University, and as an Assistant Professor at the Keio University Faculty of Economics before assuming current position in 2025. *Profile and title are current as of the time of the interview.
Large Connections in Nature Seen Through the World of Small Frogs
Research Themes and Their Origins
My research theme is to scientifically clarify the ecology and conservation methods of amphibians, particularly frogs. My starting point was my childhood experience of being close to nature and interacting with living creatures. In university, I used the nature of Satoyama as my field, focusing on how frogs live in relation to their surrounding environment, and investigated their life histories and behaviors. In recent years, I have also been working on research regarding endemic frog species inhabiting the Yaeyama Islands.
The Appeal and Fascination of the Research Theme
The appeal of this research lies in being able to consider the mechanisms of ecosystems using the lives of creatures encountered in the field as clues. Frogs are familiar creatures, but their ecology is actually quite diverse. Because the environments they use and their life histories differ by species, the more you investigate, the more new discoveries you make. For example, analyzing age structures reveals life history characteristics such as age distribution and age at maturity, while dietary analysis shows the food resources they utilize and their roles within the ecosystem. Furthermore, by analyzing genetic information, we can evaluate the origins of populations, the degree of fragmentation, and future risks. In this way, there is endless fascination in research that builds knowledge useful for frog conservation by combining various methods and moving back and forth between field observations and data analysis.
Message to Students
Learning at university is the process itself of pursuing your own curiosity, formulating your own questions, and searching for answers. I place importance on cultivating the ability to link theory and practice through fieldwork and data analysis. In nature, there are countless discoveries not found in textbooks. At first glance, it may seem like a world far removed from economics, but the experience of touching upon phenomena occurring on-site and logically unraveling them leads to the ability to perceive the essence of things from multiple perspectives. Both failures and successes are part of learning. Please do not be afraid to challenge yourself with various things and experience the joy of discovery that lies beyond trial and error.