Prof. Hiromi M. Yokoyama



Self-introduction

Hiromi M. Yokoyama is a sociologist of science, Professor at the University of Tokyo.

Academic specialty is in the Sociology of Science, STS and SciComm. research on polarization, AI, green AI, medical AI, Big Science, climate engineering, Covid-19, Women in STEM, Crowdfunding, ST&I policy, 3.11, etc.

I became an Science Technology and Society (STS), science policy and Science communication (SC) researcher after Ph.D in particle experimental physics. That is the reason why I belong to Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU). I also belong to Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies (III), UTokyo and students in my lab styding at the department.

Interview


Research Gate / Linkedin

Researchmap (List of Papers/ Committees / Books / Interviews / Contributed Articles)

Email:hiromi.yokoyama (a) ipmu.jp 


Welcome, Visiting student & researcher

I welcome visiting students and researchers with the aim of conducting collaborative research. There is also a track record of undergraduate summer research internships. Please contact me if you are interested.

Acceptance record: Tsinghua University,Princeton University, Harvard University,Technical University of Munich,National University of Singapore,etc. Please check member page.


Main Career

Since I became an associate professor at the University of Tokyo when science communication discussion began in Japan around 2007, I have led discussions on social and science communication, higher education, and large-scale science in Japan. I have contributed to various committees more than 100. Additionally, I currently contributes to Japanese academic societies as a university management advisory council member and a director of a technical college.

2025.6-Present: PCST Scientific Committee member

2024.12-Present: Director of University of Tokyo Press

2024.6-Present: Director of Toyota Foundation

2022.4-Present: Director of National Institution of National Colleges of Technology

2022.4-2025.3: Deputy Director, Kavli IPMU, The University of Tokyo

2021.6-Present: Board member of International Physics Olympiad 2023 Association

2021.4-2022.3: Director of Public Relations Office, Director of Public Relations Strategy and Planning Office, The University of Tokyo

2019.4-Present: Director of Japan Society for the Social Studies of Science and Technology

2017.4-Present: Professor, Kavli IPMU & Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo

2014-Present: Editorial board member, JCOM / Journal of science communciation

2007.4–2017.3: Associate Professor, School of Science ,University of Tokyo

2005.4–2007.3: Senior Researcher, SOKENDAI, Hayama Center

2004.10: Researcher (changed research field, science and society) Tokyo Institute of Technology

2004.9: Ph.D. in Science , Tokyo University of Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Physics Department

1999.3: B.A. in Physics, Tokyo University of Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Physics Department

Photos

Lab member(2024)

Summer Visitors(2024)

Kavli IPMU CD3 center(2023)

graduate school, Neutrino physics Group, K2K(2004),2016 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics , related 2015 Nobel Prize


Main Papers / 主な論文

[Polarization] Wang, S., Wang, T., Yokoyama, H.M. et al. Beyond a single pole: exploring the nuanced coexistence of scientific elitism and populism in China. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 353 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04685-3

While there is active discussion about polarization in the West, in China we have confirmed the phenomenon of elitism and populism coexisting within one person./欧米では2極化の議論がさかんですが、中国では1人の中にエリートリズムとポピュリズムが共存する現象が確認されました。


[Trust] Reif, A., Guenther, L., & Yokoyama, H. M. (2024). Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments. Journal of Science Communication, 23(09), E. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.23090501

Digital media has a major impact on trust in science. This special issue, for which I served as guest editor for JCOM, was adopted as a panel at the PCST2025 Aberdeen conference./ デジタルメディアは科学の信頼に大きな影響を与えます。JCOMのゲストエディターを務めたこの特集は、PCST2025アバディーンの会議でパネルとして採択されました。


[AI] Ikkatai, Y., Itatsu, Y., Hartwig, T. et al. The relationship between the attitudes of the use of AI and diversity awareness: comparisons between Japan, the US, Germany, and South Korea. AI & Soc (2024).

We are collaborating ELSI research on face recognition, mainly at the Technical University of Munich. /ミュンヘン工科大学を中心に、顔認証についてのELSI研究を行っています。


[AI] Attitudes Toward Facial Analysis AI: A Cross-National Study Comparing Argentina, Kenya, Japan, and the USA | Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency


[Women in STEM] Hiromi M. Yokoyama, Yuko Ikkatai, Euan McKay, Atsushi Inoue, Azusa Minamizaki & Kei Kano (2024) Can affirmative action overcome STEM gender inequality in Japan? Expectations and concerns, Asia Pacific Business Review, DOI: 10.1080/13602381.2024.2320547

Summary of the our past papers and discussion on the women's quota:我々のチームのこれまでの論文の総括と女子枠についての議論


[AI] Letters

This was the time when generative AI was released and there was a lot of discussion that was needed, so we wrote a lot of letters./ 生成AIがリリースされた時期であり、多くの議論が必要なため私たちはレターを多く書きました。

2024.9 Wang, S., Kinoshita, S., & Yokoyama, H. M. (2024). Letter: Performance of ChatGPT and GPT-4 on neurosurgery written board examinations. Neurosurgery. https://doi.org/10.1227/neu.0000000000003172

2024.8 Shuo Wang, Tianyu Liu, Shotaro Kinoshita, Hiromi M Yokoyama, LLMs may improve medical communication: social science perspective, Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2024;, qgae101,

2024.7 Wang, S., Yokoyama, H.M. Fight fire with fire: why not be more tolerant of ChatGPT in academic writing?. AI & Soc (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-024-02025-8

2024.6 Wang S., Kinoshita S., Yokoyama H. M. (2024). Letter: Shifting focus—From ChatGPT to specialised medical LLMs, Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

2024.5 Wang, S., Kinoshita, S., & Yokoyama, H. M. (2024). Write your paper on the motherland? Accountability in Research, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2024.2347398

2024.4 Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health (letter) Cautions and Considerations in Artificial Intelligence Implementation for Child Abuse: Lessons from Japan, Kinoshita,Yokoyama,Kishimoto

2024.3 Nature review Physics (view point) Generative AI and science communication in the physical sciences

2023.6 Nature (Correspondence) Shotaro Kinoshita & Hiromi Yokoyama, Large language model is a flagship for Japan, Nature 619, 252 (2023), doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02230-3


[Women in STEM] 南崎梓,一方井祐子,加納圭,井上敦,マッカイ・ユアン,横山広美 (2024), (報告) 高校物理選択における教師の無意識ジェンダーバイアスの探索的研究,JJSC,35,1-12

High School teachers:高校教師論文


[AI] 池谷駿一, 一方井祐子, & 横山広美. (2023). AI 美空ひばりは人々にいかに経験されたか: 死の人称による説明の試み. 科学技術コミュニケーション, 33, 1-14.

[Big Science] Yokoyama, H. M., Akimoto, Y., & Ikkatai, Y. (2023). Big science and society in Japan: Kamiokande series, policy systems and ILC. In M. B. Nielsen & S. A. Sholl (Eds.), Big science in the 21st century: Economic and societal impacts (pp. 48-1–48-16). IOP Publishing.


[AI] Ahmed N, McKinnon M, Onyige CD and Yokoyama HM (2023) Editorial: Science communication in difficult times: the intersectionality of science communication and risk communication during disasters and crises. Front. Commun. 8:1196680. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2023.1196680


[CoVID-19] Yokoyama HM and Ikkatai Y (2022) Support and trust in the government and COVID-19 experts during the pandemic. Front. Commun. 7:940585. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2022.940585


[COVID-19] 横山広美(2022) 科学的助言・グループボイスの必要性 法律時報 2022年5月号 コロナ対応における専門知と日本の政治・社会


[AI] Ikkatai, Y., Hartwig, T., Takanashi, N. et al. Segmentation of ethics, legal, and social issues (ELSI) related to AI in Japan, the United States, and Germany. AI Ethics (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-022-00207-y(press release, プレスリリース)

ELSI segment:Using three items from the previous study, we analyzed opinion distributions in Japan, the US, and Germany, revealing four distinct groups./前の論文で抽出された3つの項目を使って日米独の意見分布を調べたところ、4つのグループに分かれることがわかりました。


[AI] Hartwig, T., Ikkatai, Y., Takanashi, N. & Yokoyama, H.M. (2022). 'Artificial intelligence ELSI score for science and technology: a comparison between Japan and the US'. AI & Soc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01323-9

ELSI Sheet:Using scenario-based US-Japan data, we conducted a decision tree analysis on 13 ELSI items and found that one key item each from E, L, and S remained as important factors./ ELSIの13項目をシナリオを使った日米のデータによって決定木解析をしたところ、EとLとSの1つずつの項目が重要項目として残りました。


[AI] Y.Ikkatai, T.Hartwig, N.Takanashi & H.M. Yokoyama (2022). 'Octagon Measurement: Public Attitudes toward AI Ethics'

Octagon paper: We developed an Octagon Measurement to assess AI ethics levels using eight common items found in AI guidelines./AIガイドラインに共通する8つの項目を用いて、AI倫理のレベルを測定するオクタゴンメジャメントを開発しました。


[Women in STEM] Ikkatai, Y., Inoue, A., Minamizaki, A.,Kano, K., McKay, E. and Yokoyama, H. M.(2021).‘Effect of providing gender equality information on students’ motivations to choose STEM’.PLOS ONE.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252710

Infomation test paper:情報提供実験


[Women in STEM] Ikkatai, Y., Inoue, A., Minamizaki, A., Kano, K., McKay, E. and Yokoyama, H. M.(2021) ‘Masculinity in the public image of physics and mathematics: a new model comparing Japan and England’. Public understanding of science,https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625211002375

Model paper:モデル論文 We measured the male image of math and physics by combining three well-known social-psychological factors with an additional socio-cultural factor./数学、物理の男性イメージを社会心理学で知られている3つの要因に加えて、社会風土要因を加えて一度に測定しました。


[Women in STEM] 井上敦・一方井祐子・南崎梓・加納圭・マッカイユアン・横山広美(2021).高校生のジェンダーステレオタイプと理系への進路希望, 科学技術社会論研究.(19) 64-78 / Inoue, Atsushi, Yuko Ikkatai, Azusa Minamizaki, Kei Kano, MacKay Euan, and Hiromi Yokoyama (2021). Gender stereotypes and career aspirations for science among high school students, Journal of Science, Technology and Society. (19) 64-78

High School Students's stereotype paper: 高校生性役割分担意識論文


[Women in STEM] 一方井祐子・井上敦・南崎梓・加納圭・マッカイユアン・横山広美(2021).STEM分野に必要とされる能力のジェンダーイメージ:日本とイギリスの比較研究, 科学技術社会論研究.(19) 79 - 95 / Yuko Ikkatai, Atsushi Inoue, Azusa Minamizaki, Kei Kano, Mackay Euan, Hiromi Yokoyama (2021). gender images of abilities needed in STEM fields: a comparative study of Japan and the UK, Journal of Science, Technology and Society. (19) 79 - 95

Brilliance paper:能力論文


[Women in STEM] Ikkatai, Y., Inoue, A., Kano, K., Minamizaki, A., McKay, E., & Yokoyama, H. M. (2021). Factors related to girls' choice of physics for university entrance exams in Japan. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 17(1), 010141. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.17.010141

Pipeline paper:パイプライン論文


[COCID-19] 横山広美(2021)スター科学者ではなく「グループボイス」を Voice 7月号 コロナ500日、政治の責任(総力特集) 2021年5月


[Women in STEM] Ikkatai, Y., Minamizaki, A., Kano, K., Inoue, A., McKay, E. and Yokoyama, H. M.(2020). ‘Gender-biased public perception of STEM fields, focusing on the influence of egalitarian attitudes toward gender roles’. JCOM 19 (01), A08. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.19010208.

Pubclic image paper:一般イメージ論文


[COVID-19] Igarashi, Y., Mizushima, N. and Yokoyama, H. M. (2020). Manga-based risk communication for the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of storytelling that incorporates a cultural context JCOM 19(07), N02. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.19070802


[Women in STEM] Ikkatai, Y., Minamizaki, A., Kano, K., Inoue, A., McKay, E. and Yokoyama, H. M.(2020). ‘Masculine public image of six scientific fields in Japan: physics, chemistry,mechanical engineering, information science, mathematics, and biology’. JCOM 19 (06), A02. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.19060202.

Keywords paper:キーワード論文


[COVID-19] Yokoyama, H. (2019, August). Proposal for group voice: Going beyond the limits of one voice and making information provided by scientists available to the public in emergency situations. In K. Nakajima, T. Tanoi, & S. Utsunomiya (Eds.), Environmental contamination from the Fukushima nuclear disaster: Dispersion, monitoring, mitigation and lessons learned (pp. 271–277). Cambridge University Press.


[Women in STEM]Ikkatai Y.,Inoue A., Kano K., Minamizaki A., McKay E., & Yokoyama H.M.(2019). Parental egalitarian attitudes towards gender roles affect agreement on girls taking STEM fields at university in Japan’.International Journal of Science Education , 41(16), 2254-2270.,

Parents's paper:親論文

[Crowdfunding] 一方井祐子, マッカイ, ユアン., & 横山広美. (2018). 日本の研究者たちは何を重視してクラウドファンディングへの支援を呼びかけたか:第4のファンディングの可能性. 科学技術コミュニケーション, 24, 55–67.


[Crowdfunding] Ikkatai, Y., McKay, E. and Yokoyama, H. M. (2018). Science created by crowds: a case study of science crowdfunding in Japan JCOM 17(03), A06. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.17030206

What is interesting is that through crowdfunding research, the paper proposes a "Budget-funding Community" in contrast to the Journal Community, which is important in scientific theory.We propose that science crowdfunding can be successfully used to generate “crowd-supported science” by means of this Crowd Community./クラウドファンディング研究を通じて、科学論で重視する Journal Communityに対して、”Budget-funding Community”を提案したところに面白さがあります。さらに、科学クラウドファンディングをうまく活用した「クラウド支援型科学」があることを明らかにしました。


[SciComm.] 中谷内一也, 長谷和久, & 横山広美. (2018). 科学的基礎知識とハザードへの不安との関係. 心理学研究, 89(2), 171–178. https://doi.org/10.4992/jjpsy.89.17215​

This paper confirms the impact of the deficit model in Japan./ 日本で欠如モデルの影響を確認した論文です。


[3.11] 一方井祐子, & 横山広美. (2016). 東日本大震災後,科学コミュニケーターは何ができたのか. 科学技術コミュニケーション, 19, 57–70. https://doi.org/10.14943/74100


[3.11] Nakayachi, K., Yokoyama, H. M., & Oki, S. (2014). Public anxiety after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake: fluctuations in hazard perception after catastrophe. Journal of Risk Research, 18(2), 156–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2013.875936


[Policy] Yokoyama, H. M., & Nakayachi, K. (2012). Public judgment on science expenditure in the national budget of Japan: An experimental approach to examining the effects of unpacking science. Public Understanding of Science, 23(5), 610-626. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662512456347 (Original work published 2014)


[3.11] Tateno, S. and Yokoyama, H. M. (2013). Public anxiety, trust, and the role of mediators in communicating risk of exposure to low dose radiation after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant explosion JCOM 12(02), A03. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.12020203


[Neutrino physics]K2K collaboration "Evidence for muon neutrino oscillation in an accelerator-based experiment." Physical review letters 94.8 (2005): 081802.

[Neutrino physics]K2K collaboration "Indications of neutrino oscillation in a 250 km long-baseline experiment." Physical Review Letters 90.4 (2003): 041801.

Projects, Books / プロジェクト, 書籍

* on going, + in the process of writing papers.


[SciComm/STS 2023-]*Japan PI
[Women in STEM / Kakenhi 2023-]*PI
[Women in STEM / CD3 2024-]*Co-PI
[AI ELSI/RRI 2024-]*WG3 leader : AI Agents
[AI ELSI/RRI 2025-]*AI medical
[Human*AI / CD3 2025-] *
[AI ELSI/RRI 2022-2024]+PI
[SciComm. 2023-2025]


[AI 2021-2024] Co-PI

[AI 2021-2022]+PI
[Women in STEM 2017-2021] PI

成果パンフレット(PDF), English pamphlet PDF download

パンフレット作製は東海大学教養学部芸術学科の富田誠先生に協力いただきました。/ Prof. Makoto Tomita at Tokai University designed the pamphlet.

Open access/ Translated from “Why Are There So Few Women in Science?,” Sekai, September 2024, pp. 66–73. [October 2024]

岩波書店「世界」2024.9 「理系女性はなぜ少ない」英語翻訳




K2K:neutrino physics(1999-2004)