ABOUT

Takako Kawabata is an Associate Professor at the International Professional University of Technology in Nagoya, Japan, and a Research Associate at the Japan Research Centre, SOAS University of London. She holds a PhD in Linguistics from SOAS, where she specialized in how language, culture, and society shape one another.

Her research explores globalization, media, cultural exchange, and the social meanings of language, with particular focus on Japanese and English contexts. She has published and taught in areas such as World Englishes, language policy, English language teaching, and Japanese language education. Recently, she has also been developing research on language and food, examining how culinary culture communicates identity, authenticity, and social belonging.

Alongside her academic work, she collaborates in the globalization of Japanese manga content, advising on English-language adaptations of web manga and YouTube manga channels. Her role involves ensuring that character voice, tone, humor, and cultural nuance are thoughtfully conveyed for international audiences.

Her broader interests include contemporary Japanese culture, linguistic and cultural identity, and how stories travel across languages and audiences, particularly through manga.

Her manga-related work can be found in Lazy Bum Yakuza on YouTube (Lazy Bum YAKUZA – YouTube) and on MANGA Plus Creators (https://mangaplus-creators.jp/titles/o82408051917471430026623943)