For Students Considering
Joining the Laboratory
Visit us, talk with us, and choose the laboratory that is right for you.
Choosing a Laboratory
Laboratory placement takes place toward the end of the second year, and choosing a laboratory is one of the most important decisions of university life.
Do not decide simply because friends or senior students are there, or because a laboratory appears easy. Gather information, visit, ask questions, and make a choice that genuinely suits you.
Visits and Open Seminars
Open Seminars
All seminar activities in October and November are open to visitors. Seminars are held mainly in person, with online participation available when appropriate.
- Mondays, periods 7–8 (14:35–16:05)Whole-laboratory seminar; sessions may run longer.
- Student-led mini-seminars are also held.
- Student-led seminar: schedule to be confirmed
Undergraduate Thesis Interim Presentations
The open interim undergraduate thesis presentations are held jointly with the Toyoda and Natsume seminars. Dates will be posted here once confirmed.
Laboratory Information Sessions
- Session 01: Thursday, 22 October 2026, 13:00
- Session 02: Monday, 2 November 2026, 12:00
- Session 03: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 10:30
Venue: Regional Collaboration Project Room (W201), 2nd floor, Building 2
Look for the room marked “Student Room.”No advance registration is required; please feel free to attend.
Come and Talk with Us
Visits and consultations are welcome throughout the year. Talk with faculty members and students to see whether the laboratory feels like a good fit.
Research topics matter, but the relationship and atmosphere of the laboratory matter just as much.To meet Professor Taguchi, please contact him directly. You are also welcome to contact current students or visit the student room, although students may not always be present.
Students who wish to join the Taguchi Laboratory must meet with Professor Taguchi at least once.
About the Laboratory
Research that Leads to Proposals
We place particular emphasis on making proposals. We study communities carefully, identify ways forward, and conduct the research needed to develop concrete ideas.
Building on classroom learning, students work in the field and gain a practical understanding of the capabilities required in community development.
Research: community planning, regional development, settlement management, community regeneration, resilience, and more.
Approach: field-based practice, discovery, bird’s-eye and ground-level views, Work Hard & Play Hard, and a spirit of curiosity.
Laboratory Activities
Seminars
Because the laboratory has many members, activities are organized around three formats: a whole-laboratory seminar, student-led mini-seminars for related topics, and year-group seminars, in addition to graduate seminars. Third-year students pursue third-year research, while fourth-year students focus on their theses.
Active participation and discussion are expected. Seminars are central to the laboratory and continue under student leadership even when Professor Taguchi is away.
Seminar Schedule
- Whole-laboratory seminar: Mondays, periods 7–8 (sometimes jointly with the Toyoda and Tsukamoto seminars)
- Student-led mini-seminar: Wednesdays from 14:35
You may join seminars with or without Professor Taguchi present; choose a session that fits your schedule.The format (in person or online) may change, so please check before attending.
Projects
Third-year students mainly work through the Regional Studies Practicum, and fourth-year students through the practicum and their thesis. Beyond formal research, we encourage participation in community projects.
Past work has included community workshops in Manno, Kagawa, and studies on the reuse of a closed school.
Guest Seminars
We occasionally invite practitioners active in community development to give lectures. Each guest seminar is documented and compiled into a booklet.
Field Seminar Trips
When members are motivated, the laboratory organizes field seminar trips. Trips to the Chuetsu region of Niigata in 2014, 2016, and 2018 examined post-earthquake community recovery, local settlement initiatives, and the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.
Ask current students about recent field seminar trips.
Research Topics
Start by Finding Your Own Question
We encourage students to identify their own research topics and provide extensive support along the way. Students return to questions such as “Why did I become interested in community development?” and “Why does this place matter to me?” as they develop a topic of their own.
Design
Design Matters
Design is important in our laboratory: the design of handouts, figures and tables in theses, and even the layout of the studio. We encourage students to approach all of these as design challenges.