教員一覧 List of faculty members

廣田　千恵子 准教授

HIROTA, Chieko Associate Professor

Research Contents

My research explores cultural change and continuity in the nomadic societies of Central Eurasia, particularly in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, through long-term ethnographic fieldwork. Drawing on anthropological perspectives, I have examined how skills such as handicraft production and horse tack making are practiced and transmitted in everyday life. More recently, my research has expanded to include the roles of materials and tools in cultural practices, human–animal relationships, pastoral mobility and traditional ecological knowledge, and the ways in which the movement of people and objects shapes ethnicity and cultural transformation in nomadic societies.

Attractive Factors of My Research

What I find most fascinating about cultural anthropology is that it encourages us to question what we take for granted by engaging with people whose cultures and values differ from our own. In doing so, it enables us to see people and society from new perspectives.

Major Books and Papers

• Hirota, Chieko. 2026. “The Relationship between Felt and Ornamentation in Central Eurasian Kazakh Society.” Journal of Arid Land Studies 35(4): 63–68. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2026. “The Social Significance of Kazakh Chai Feasting in Mongolia.” In Ariell Ahearn, Gantulga Munkherdene, and Takahiro Ozaki (eds.), Rural Transitions in Mongolia and Central Asia: Pastoralism, Wellbeing and Economic Relations. Cambridge: The White Horse Press.
• Ahearn, Ariell, Gantulga Munkherdene, Sainbayar Enkhbat, Akira Kamimura, Buho Hoshino, Takahiro Tomita, Chieko Hirota, Takahiro Ozaki, Troy Sternberg, Batbuyan Batjav, Moe Terao, and Yuki Morinaga. 2025. “The Adaptation and Resilience of Pastoralists During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mongolia.” Nomadic Peoples. Ahead of print.
• Suzuki, Kohei, Yuki Konagaya, and Chieko Hirota. 2024. “Seasonal Camp Movements and the Use of Plants as Livestock Forage among Nomadic Pastoralists in Bayan-Ölgii Province, Mongolia.” Journal of Arid Land Studies 34(3): 79–94. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2024. “Embroidery and Wall Hangings in Central Asia.” In Arctic Stitch: Embroidery of Northern Peoples, Catalogue of the 39th Special Exhibition, Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples, pp. 54–63. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2024. “Gender Formation and Social Roles in Kazakh Society in Mongolia.” Proceedings of the 37th Northern Peoples’ Cultural Symposium, pp. 27–32. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2023. “Kazakh Weaving: Learning Nomadic Craftsmanship through Language and Tools.” In Weaving and Braiding among Northern Peoples, Catalogue of the 38th Special Exhibition, Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples, pp. 41–47. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2023. “Syrmak: Felt Rugs of the Kazakhs.” In Kazue Kasuga and Keitodama Editorial Team (eds.), A Journey through the Beautiful World of Handicrafts, Nihon Vogue Sha, pp. 96–105. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2023. “Pastoralism and Seasonal Mobility in Mountain Environments: A Case Study of Kazakh Herders in Twenty-first-Century Mongolia.” In Kaoru Imamura (ed.), Pastoral Societies in Central Asia: Humans, Animals, Encounters, and Mobility. Kyoto University Press, pp. 150–181. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2023. “Camel Hair Supporting the Lives of Pastoralists: A Case Study of Kazakhs in Mongolia.” In Kaoru Imamura (ed.), Camels: Living with Humans in Harsh Environments—Evolution, Ecology, and Coexistence. Fukyosha, pp. 151–160. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2023. “Milk Processing Techniques among Kazakhs in Mongolia: A Case Study of Bayan-Ölgii Province.” Journal of the Japan Society for Mongolian Studies 53: 69–91. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2021. “Pastoral Management among Kazakhs in Mongolia: Two Livestock Management Patterns for Environmental Adaptation.” In Kaoru Imamura (ed.), Studies on Central Asian Pastoral Societies, Vol. 3: Environmental Adaptation and Pastoralism, pp. 45–64. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2021. “Marriage Rituals and Their Transformation among Kazakhs in Mongolia.” Hokkaido Folklore17: 69–73. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko. 2021. “Seasonal Mobility among Kazakh Pastoralists in Mongolia: A Case Study of Sagsai Soum, Bayan-Ölgii Province.” In Kaoru Imamura (ed.), Studies on Central Asian Pastoral Societies, Vol. 2: Nomadism and Sedentarization, pp. 45–66. (in Japanese)
• Hirota, Chieko, and Ainagul Khabdir. 2019. Kazakh Embroidery: Central Asian Nomads: Traditional Motifs and Techniques. Seibundo Shinkosha. (in Japanese)