Yumiko NARA is a Professor in the Human Life and Health Sciences Program, The Open University of Japan. She holds a Ph.D. degree from Nara Women’s University. Her research interests include community-based disaster risk management, and risk communication related to science and technology. She works closely with local communities and citizens, using qualitative and quantitative research methods based on systems approaches. She was awarded a prize by the Japan Risk Management Society. She has been a member of the Investigation Committee specializing in Research and Development Strategy at the National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity in the Cabinet Secretariat, and the Committee on Safety, Security, Science and Technology at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

Tetsuya INAMURA is a specially appointed Professor in the Humanities Program at the Open University of Japan. He holds a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Tokyo. He joined the Open Field Museum “Little World” as a researcher and was involved in the foundation of the museum. He also worked as an Associate Professor and Professor at Aichi Prefectural University before moving to his current position. He is a cooperative member of the Science Council of Japan. His major academic interests are museology and cultural anthropology, and research on pastoral cultures in the Andes, the Himalayas, and Mongolia.