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Anthropologist
Anthropology helps us question what we take for granted, understand human differences, and discover new ways of seeing ourselves and the world.
I'm Wakako Takeda, an anthropologist with a PhD from the Australian National University.
My work explores how culture shapes our values, relationships, and ways of living. Through writing, talks, workshops, and personal conversations, I bring anthropological insights into everyday life—beyond the university.
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MY MISSION
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I was born in Fukuoka, Japan. My curiosity about culture began close to home. Growing up with a parent from Okinawa and a parent from Tokyo, and moving between these two places, I became interested in the different ways people experience the world.
That curiosity led me to study anthropology in the United States, Japan, and Australia. I earned my PhD at the Australian National University. I also spent ten years teaching at a university in Thailand.
My research explores how culture shapes our experiences of loneliness, intimacy, and human connection—questions that are deeply relevant to everyday life.
Alongside my academic background in anthropology, I have received training in coaching, counselling, and healing.
I offer workshops and one-to-one sessions in both Japanese and English.
Today, the question at the heart of my work is: How can understanding different ways of life enrich our own?
I am especially interested in how we can understand others without losing our own voice, question the assumptions we take for granted, and create space for different ways of being.
My research explores how culture shapes everyday life, with a focus on loneliness, intimacy, and human relationships.
My doctoral research examined the social and cultural meanings of eating with others (commensality) and eating alone in Japan and Australia.
Doctoral Thesis
For a full list of my academic publications and research contributions, please visit my Google Scholar profile.