Researcher

Shinichi Yamaguchi

Executive Research Fellow / Associate Professor
Ph.D. Economics

■Research Area
Econometrics, Data Analysis, Information Economy, Business in the Information Society, Social Media, Fake News, Social Informatics

My field of research is econometrics, which is one of the methods to analyze data. Using this method, I have been conducting empirical research on issues such as fake news and slander in social media, new business models in the information society, and the information economy. In recent years, society has been undergoing rapid changes due to the development of AI and IoT technologies and the spread of social media. As a result, new businesses and services have been launched in succession. While many have been successful, various problems have also arisen. With the arrival of this “new era” and the increasing complexity of society, it becomes difficult to construct appropriate business strategies and policies based on conventional rules of thumb alone. I would like to turn tacit knowledge into formal knowledge through quantitative analysis of these changes, and show the direction that companies and society should take.

Brief History

Shinichi Yamaguchi is an associate professor at the Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan. He obtained his PhD in Economics at Keio University (Japan) in 2015. His field of expertise is econometrics. He has appeared in many media outlets, including NHK and the Nikkei. His research interests include social media and the digital economy. He was awarded the KDDI Foundation Award, the Takamiya Award of Academic Association for Organizational Science, the Paper Award of The Japan Society of Information and Communication Research (twice), and the Telecommunications Incentive Award in Social Studies. He published several books; “Who are The Extreme People?” (Kobunsha Co., Ltd.), “Why It’s Profitable” (Soshisha Publishing), “The Economics of Online Flaming and Word-of-Mouth” (Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc.), etc. In addition, he is an affiliate researcher of The University of Tokyo, a director of the Risk Communication Institute of Japan, and an advisor to SIEMPLE Inc., GREE, Inc., Mercari, Inc., Creator Economy Association.

Major Works

Yamaguchi, S. (2020). Who are The Extreme People? Japan: Kobunsha Co., Ltd. (in Japanese)
Yamaguchi, S. (2020). Why It’s Profitable? Japan: Soshisha Publishing Co.,Ltd. (in Japanese)
Yamaguchi ,S. (2022). Changes in the use of mobile devices during the crisis: Immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Computers in Human Behavior Reports、Elsevier.
Yamaguchi, S. (2021). The effect of online C2C markets on new-product-purchasing behavior: an empirical analysis of Japanese selling apps. SN Business & Economics, 1(1), 1-21.
Yamaguchi, S., Oshima, H., Saso, H., & Aoki, S. (2020). How Do People Value Data Utilization?: An Empirical Analysis Using Contingent Valuation Method in Japan. Technology in Society, 62, 101285.
Yamaguchi, S., Tanihara, T., Oshima, H., Watanabe, T., Kikuchi, E., Shoji, M., & Koguchi, T. (2020). An Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of Consumers’ Evaluation for Personal Data Trust Bank. Journal of Information and Communications Policy, 4(1), 1-20. (in Japanese)

Major Presentations and Media Appearances

“NHK, Newsline: Athletes, Organizers Stand up Against Online Abuse” (TV appearance), Aug, 2021.
“TBS, NEWS23: Slander on Social Media, Olympic Athletes’ Complaints “Appropriate measures should be taken”” (TV appearance), Aug, 2021.
“Nikkei: Athletes Attacked by Slander on Social Media” (Newspaper interview), Aug, 2021.
“NHK, NewsWatch 9: Vaccination of The Young Generation, “We Need to Find Out The Right Information” ” (TV appearance), Jul, 2021.
“Nippon Television, Sukkiri!: U.S. Vaccination Growth Slowed by Misinformation” (TV appearance), Jul, 2021.

Major Professional Memberships and Activities

December 2021 – present: Advisor, TikTok APAC Safety Advisory Council.
July 2021 – present: Adviser, Creator Economy Association.
July 2021 – present: Research activities committee member, The Society of Socio-Informatics (SSI).
June 2021 – present: Committee member, Task Force on the Development of a Safe and Secure Internet Use Environment for Youth, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
June 2021 – present: Committee member, Advisory Board for the Marketplace, Mercari, Inc.
January 2021 – present: Committee member, Expert Panel on Democracy in the Digital Age, Z Holdings
December 2020 – present: Committee member, Pension Public Relations Study Group, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
November 2020 – present: Advisory Board, KIKI: Crisis Management Public Relations Training Program, Razor Corporation.
October 2020 – present: Personal Author and Official Commentator, Yahoo! News, Yahoo Japan Corporation.
September 2020 – present: Editorial secretary, The Academic Association for Organization Science (AAOS).
September 2020 – present: Editorial board member, The Society of Socio-Informatics (SSI).
June 2020 – present: Committee member, Forum against Disinformation, Safer Internet Association.
June 2019 – present: Editorial board member, The Japan Society of Information and Communication Research.
May 2019 – present: Advisory board member, GREE, inc.

Major Awards

June 2018: Paper Award, The Japan Society of Information and Communication Research (JSICR).
March 2018: 33th Telecommunications Advancement Foundation Award, Telecommunications Advancement Foundation.
June 2017: Paper Award, The Japan Society of Information and Communication Research (JSICR).
June 2017: Takamiya Award, The Academic Association for Organizational Science (AAOS).
February 2017: Kinokuniya Jinbun Award 2017, KINOKUNIYA COMPANY, LTD.

Educational Background

April 2012 – March 2015: Ph.D., Graduate School of Economics, Keio University
April 2010 – March 2012: Master, Graduate School of Economics, Keio University
April 2006 – March 2010: Department of Economics, Keio University

Major Employment

August 2021 – present: Economist, Economics Design Inc.
April 2021 – present: Adjunct Lecturer, Business School, Waseda University.
April 2021 – present: Adjunct Lecturer, Information Technology & Law, Chuo University.
September 2020 – present: Advisor, SIEMPLE Inc.
August 2020 – present: Affiliate Researcher, The University of Tokyo.
July 2020 – present: Director, Risk Communication Institute of Japan (RCIJ).
April 2020 – present: Associate Professor / Senior Research Fellow, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan.
April 2016 – present: Adjunct Lecturer, Department of International Society, Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin.
July 2018 – March 2020: Assistant Professor / Senior Research Fellow, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan.
April 2015 – June 2018: Assistant Professor / Research Fellow, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan.
July 2018 – March 2020: Assistant Professor / Senior Research Fellow, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan.
April 2020 – June 2022: Associate Professor / Senior Research Fellow, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan.
July 2022 – present: Associate Professor / Executive Research Fellow, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan.