Iori Hamada

My research brings transnational perspectives to bear on investigating key areas in contemporary culture and society: migration, social inclusion, gender ideologies, food cultures, higher education and the work-family nexus. I am currently working on several individual and collaborative projects, including ‘Inclusive dining out experiences’, ‘The brain waste of skilled migrants in Australia', and 'WIL (Work-Integrated Learning) and employability in modern foreign language studies’. My work has appeared in leading international publishers, including Oxford University Press, Routledge, Springer Nature and Bloomsbury Academic.

I have an interdisciplinary background (cultural studies, anthropology, and social sciences), holding a B.A. in Education from Sophia University, an M.A. in Applied Communication from RMIT University, and a Ph.D. in Japanese Studies from the University of Melbourne. I came to Australia in 2006 as a recipient of the Endeavour Japan Awards funded by the Australian Government. Prior to joining Japanese Studies at Monash University in 2019, I have taught Japanese socio-cultural and language courses at the University of Melbourne. 

I am also the author of six commercial books about intercultural communications, language learning, and Japanese food culture. Some of my books were translated and sold in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. My latest bilingual book Eat and Speak WASHOKU offers food lovers useful overviews of what Japanese traditional food called 'washoku' is all about.