Contact Information

Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University
2-1 Naka, Kunitachi Tokyo 186-8603, JAPAN
E-mail: nakajima.kentaro(at)gmail.com
Tel: +81-42-580-8417
​
Current Positions
  • Professor, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University (October 2023-)
  • Faculty Fellow, Research Institute of Economy, Trade, and Industry (October 2020-)
  • Visiting Professor, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University (April 2024-)
  • Visiting Professor, Center for Spatial Information Science, the University of Tokyo (April 2024-)
  • Visiting Fellow, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (February 2024-)​​

Research Fields
  • Spatial Economics and Applied Microeconometrics

Past Positions
  • Associate Professor, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University (March 2017 - September 2023)
  • Associate Professor, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University (April 2011 - March 2017)
  • Associate Professor (term), Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University (April 2010 - March 2011)
  • Associate Professor (term), Endowed Chair in Regional Economy and Banking (The 77 Bank), Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University (April 2008 - March 2010)
  • Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (April 2007 - March 2008)

Past Visiting Positions
  • Visiting Researcher, The Mitsubishi Economic Research Institute (July 2022-June 2023)  
  • Visiting Researcher, Economic and Social Research Institute (April 2021-March 2023)
  • Visiting Associate Professor, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University (April 2017 - March 2024)
  • Visiting Researcher, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University (April 2016-March 2017)
  • Visiting Researcher, National Institute for Research Advancement, (October 2014- September 2016)
  • Visiting Lecturer, Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University, (April 2013- March 2014)
  • Visiting Associate Professor, Center for Spatial Information Science, the University of Tokyo (June 2012- March 2024)
  • Visiting Associate Professor, CIRJE, the University of Tokyo (April 2012 - July 2012)
  • Visiting Researcher, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, (June 2011 - March 2013)
  • Visiting Associate Professor, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University (April 2011 - March 2012)

Professional Experience
  • Consultant, Strengthening Approaches for Operationalizing Diversified Growth in Central Asia, Asian Development Bank, (September 2022 - August 2023)
  • Consultant, Cebu Mactan airport project - an economic impact evaluation, Asian Development Bank, (April 2021-December 2021)
  • Consultant, Measuring the Developing Effectiveness of Private Sector Operations, Asian Development Bank, (February 2019-December 2020)
  • Member, Research Project Meeting on productivity growth, Japan Productivity Center, (March 2011-March 2014)
  • Member, Research Project Meetings, Research Insitute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), (October 2008 -)
  • Consultant, Developing the Approaches to Improve Methodology of the Subsistence Minimum Determination in Kazakhstan, International Labor Organization, (April 2011-December 2011)
  • Member, Research Project Meeting on Economic Integration in East Asia and Development in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, (August 2010 - March 2011)

Education
  • Ph.D. in Economics, the University of Tokyo, March 2008
  • M.A. in Economics, the University of Tokyo, March 2005
  • B.A. in Economics, the University of Tokyo, March 2003

Teaching
  • Hitotsubashi University
    • Applied Microeconomic Analysis (Undergraduate, 2025)
    • Foundations of Business Economics (Undergraduate, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
    • Economic Analysis of Innovation (Graduate, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
    • Network Organization (Graduate, 2017)
    • Introductory Business Economics (Undergraduate, 2017)
    • Regional Development (Graduate, 2010) 
  • Tohoku University
    • Applied Microeconometrics (Graduate, 2018 & 2020)
    • Introductory Economics (Undergraduate, 2016) 
    • Economics (Liberal Arts) (Undergraduate, 2015 x2) 
    • Introductory Mathematics for Economics and Business (Undergraduate, 2013) 
    • Development Economics (Graduate, 2011, 2013, 2015, & 2017; Undergraduate, 2012, 2014, & 2016) 
    • Regional Economics (Graduate, 2008 & 2009) 
    • Urban Economics (Undergraduate, 2009) 
  • Tohoku Gakuin University
    • Urban Economics (Undergraduate, 2013 & 2014) 
  • Tsukuba University
    • Urban and Regional Economics (Graduate, 2010, 2011, 2012, & 2013) 
Grants
  • Principal Investigator
    • Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory), JSPS (August 2025 - March 2028)
    • Joint Usage and Research Center Programs at the Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University (April 2023-March 2024)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Pioneering), JSPS (August 2022 - March 2025)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2021 - March 2025)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory), JSPS (August 2020 - March 2022)
    • Research Grant, Kajima Foundation (April 2020 - March 2022)
    • Research Grant for International Joint Research, Heiwa Nakajima Foundation (April 2020 - March 2021)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory), JSPS (July 2017 - March 2020)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2017 - March 2021)
    • Research Grant, The Murata Science Foundation (October 2016 - October 2017)
    • Research Grant, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (August 2015 - March 2016)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), JSPS (April 2013 - March 2017)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), JSPS (May 2011 - March 2013)
    • Research Grant, The Kikawada Foundation (April 2011 - March 2013)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), JSPS (April 2009 - March 2011)
    • Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (DC2), JSPS (April 2007 - March 2008)
  • Co-Investigator (kyodo-kenkyusha & renkei-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2025 - March 2029), (PI: Kozo Kiyota), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2024 - March 2028), (PI: Tetsuji Okazaki), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), JSPS (April 2022 - March 2025), (PI: Kensuke Teshima), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), JSPS (April 2020 - March 2024), (PI: Yaichi Aoshima), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2020 - March 2024), (PI: Dao-Zhi Zeng), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2020 - March 2024), (PI: Tatsuhito Kono), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), JSPS (April 2019 - March 2024), (PI: Tetsuji Okazaki), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), JSPS (April 2019 - March 2023), (PI: Kozo Kiyota), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2017 - March 2021), (PI: Yoshihiro Yajima), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2017 - March 2020), (PI: Dao-Zhi Zeng), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2017 - March 2020), (PI: Tatsuhito Kono), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), JSPS (April 2017 - March 2020), (PI: Tsuyoshi Tsuru), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), JSPS (April 2016 - March 2020), (PI: Kozo Kiyota), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2016 - March 2020), (PI: Satoru Masuda), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2015 - March 2020), (PI: Ryo Horii), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2015 - March 2019), (PI: Yoshitsugu Kanemoto), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), JSPS (April 2015 - March 2018), (PI: Hiroyasu Inoue), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A), JSPS (April 2014 - March 2017), (PI: Masahisa Fujita), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2014 - March 2018), (PI: Tatsuhito Kono), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2014 - March 2017), (PI: Tsuyoshi Tsuru), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S), JSPS (April 2013 - March 2018), (PI: Iichiro Uesugi), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2012 - March 2016), (PI: Shiro Hioki), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), JSPS (April 2012 - March 2014), (PI: Hiroyasu Inoue), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2011 - March 2014), (PI: Yoshitsugu Kanemoto), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2010 - March 2014), (PI: Dao-Zhi Zeng), (kyodo-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S), JSPS (April 2016 - March 2021), (PI: Kyoji Fukao), (renkei-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S), JSPS (April 2010 - March 2015), (PI: Takashi Kurosaki), (renkei-kenkyusha)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JSPS (April 2009 - March 2013), (PI: Tetsuji Okazaki), (renkei-kenkyusha)

Awards
  • The Sakashita Prize, Applied Regional Science Conference, 2015

Professional Affiliations
  • Regional Science Association International
  • Japanese Economic Association
    • Steering committee, May 2024 – April 2026
    • Program committee of Spring Meeting, May 2022
    • Program committee of Autumn Meeting, September 2014 
  • Applied Regional Science Conference
    • Steering committee, April 2020 – March 2024
    • Program committee (Chair) of Annual Conference, December 2019
    • Program committee of Annual Conference, December 2016 
    • Program committee of Annual Conference, December 2014 
    • Steering committee, April 2014 – March 2018
  • Socio-Economic History Society

Editorial Activities​
  • Editorial Board, Hitotsubashi Business Review, April 2017-
  • Editorial Board, Review of Urban and Regional Development Studies, February 2017-December 2019