Dr. Masato KAWABATA
Lab Director
Professor (Sport & Exercise Psychology)
Educational Background
March 2008 Ph.D. (Sport and Exercise Psychology)
The University of Queensland, Australia
March 1997 Master of Health and Sport Sciences
The University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
March 1994 Bachelor of Health and Physical Education
The University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Welcome to the Human Thriving Lab!
I am the Director of the Human Thriving Laboratory and a Full Professor at College of Sport and Wellness in Rikkyo University (RU). Prior to joining RU in April 2023, I was a tenured Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
The details of my profile and research impact can be found on the following websites: RU researcher’s profile, interview comments, researchmap, Google Scholar, ResearchGate. It is joyful and meaningful to advance our knowledge and contribute to society through research.
I have served as a Co-Editor for Journal of Happiness Studies, one of top journals in social sciences. I have also served on the editorial board for The Sport Psychologist, a leading international journal in sport psychology
I am recruiting undergraduate and postgraduate students who want to do research under my supervision. If you are interested in joining the Human Thriving Lab, please feel free to e-mail me at masato.k@rikkyo.ac.jp.
Lab Members @ Rikkyo University, JAPAN
Joined in AY2024
(Postgraduate and Undergraduate Members listed alphabetically based on their family names)
Tsutomu OKADA
Postgraduate (MA Year 2)
Saho BABA
Undergraduate (Year 4)
Background: I played several sports (e.g., handball) until high school. After stopping playing sports at the university, I realized the importance of doing exercise for mental and physical health. I am currently exploring ways to continue exercising.
Research interest: I am interested to know how we can incorporate exercise into our lives to enhance our well-being.
Shun NAGAI
Undergraduate (Year 4)
Background: I am a member of the Ekiden (long-distance relay race) club at Rikkyo University. I played baseball when I was a child. I love to move my body.
Research interest: I am interested to understand optimal conditioning for long-distance runners from stress and recovery perspectives.
Joined in AY2025
(Members listed alphabetically based on their family names)
Yuki AKUTSU
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I am a member of the Varsity Figure Skating Club at Rikkyo University. Also, I’m interested in yoga and have continued to study it since I was junior high school. I learned the importance of mindfulness through yoga.
Research interest: I am interested to focus on both mind and body and understand through mindfulness how people can feel happier and learn to love themselves more.
Sota HARADA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I played soccer when I was an elementary school student. I was a member of the basketball club at junior high school. I started track and field in high school. And now, I am a member of the Varsity Ekiden (long-distance relay race) Team at Rikkyo University.
Research interest: I’m interested to understand why we feel nervous under pressure as the phenomenon has a huge effect on my performance.
Miharu IGARASHI
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I have played tennis since I was 6 years old because of my grandparents. I am currently working as a part-time tennis coach. I continue to participate in tennis matches regularly.
Research interest: I am interested in the psychological impacts of sports on people and societies. I believe that sports have the power to make people united and even give them a reason or meaning for living.
Kippei IKEDA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I am a member of the Varsity Ice Hockey Team at Rikkyo University. I have been playing ice hockey since I was Grade 4 at elementary school. It has been an important part of my life.
Before starting playing ice , I also enjoyed playing soccer, swimming, and gymnastics. I love running, especially in the mountains or in nature. Running helps me stay healthy and clear my mind.
Research interest: I am interested to know what types of mindsets a leader should have to build and lead a winning team.
Konatsu KANO
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I am a member of the Varsity Judo Club at Rikkyo University. I played various sports such as basketball, judo, and swimming at elementary school. However, I started focused on judo at junior high school. Since then I have continued practicing it.
Research interest: I am interested in understanding the psychological impact of sports injuries on athletes. I want to know how athletes cope with relevant issues mentally and emotionally during the recovery.
Yuna MIYAUCHI
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I am a member of the Varsity Tennis Team at Rikkyo University. I have been playing tennis since I was Grade 1 at elementary school. I also enjoy watching sports.
Research interest: I am interested to understand how to enhance athletic performance under pressure. In particular, I am interested in understanding the psychological factors involved in the process and manage them facilitatively to produce higher performance.
Sara NISHINO
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: When I was a junior high school student, I was a member of a music club and played the trombone. I also played the guitar in a band club at a high school. I started going to gyms when I was a 17 years old. I have continued to do that since then.
Research interest: I am interested to know exercise motivations of non-athletes. I would like to encourage them to exercise more for their health improvement.
Kosei OKI
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I had played baseball until when I was a high school student. After entering Rikkyo University, I started claimed mountains. I enjoy it now.
Research interest: I am interested in the effect of strength training on the body and mind. I am also interested in mindfulness meditation.
Hiromu SAITO
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I started playing volleyball when I was an elementary school student. Currently, I am a member of the Varsity Volleyball Team at Rikkyo University. My position is the Middle Blocker (MB).
Research interest: I am interested to understand how our body and mind react under stressful environments. To this end, I would like to investigate the body-and-mind association by measuring life style factors.
Kota SANO
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I am a member of the Varsity Gymnastics Club at Rikkyo university. I have been playing gymnastics competitively for 16 years. I love to do exercise. I feel happier by running even when the gymnastics club is day off.
Research interest: I am interested to understand ‘yips,’ and I would like to know the cause of yips and how to deal with it clearly.
Yuya SHIMPO
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I have played soft tennis since I was 6. I currently belong to the Varsity Soft Tennis Club of Rikkyo University. I also interested in watching European football matches.
Research interest: I am interested to know why our performances deteriorates under pressure in a competition, compared to performances in a practice. I would like to know how to minimize the deterioration.
Ryohan SHINODA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I played soccer until I graduated from high school. I was the captain of my team at each school level.
Research interest: Based on my own experience, I am interested to understand the ideal role of the captain and their influence in team sports.
Karen SHISHIURA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I have been dancing since I was 4 years old. When I was at junior high school, my team won the world dance championship in Los Angeles, USA. Since high school, I have been active in the professional dance league (D.LEAGUE) as a member of the dance team called ‘I’moon.’
Research interest: I am interested in 1) the impact of mentality on enhancing dance performance as well as 2) positive emotions caused from dancing. As a professional dancer, I would like to know what dance can bring to people.
Taisei SUGANO
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I played soccer from elementary school to the third year of high school. Those days, my performance was unstable. I felt that my unstable performance was not because of my technique but mentality. Since then, I have been interested in studying sports psychology.
Research interest: I believe that psychological factors are associated with soccer performance. I would like to know how mental states are different between better and poor performances.
Haruto TAKADA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I had played soccer for 7 years since I was Grade 2 at elementary school. Subsequently, I started track and field (T&F) at junior high school. Since then, I have done T&F for 8 years. I won the silver medal (the 2nd place) in the U20 men’s 1500m at the Japan Athletics Championship in 2023.
Research interest: I want to know how eating gluten-free food affects athlete’s performance and mental condition.
Chinami TAKAMURA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I am a member of a cheerleading team at Rikkyo university. I started cheerleading when I was a high school student. I participate in three tournaments and perform at several events every year.
Research interest: I am interested in women’s physical activity (PA) participation rate. In particular, I would like to know what environments and systems are helpful for women to continue to participate in PA during and after major life changes such as during pregnancy and after having a baby.
Satoko TOYODA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I am a member of the Varsity Lacrosse Club at Rikkyo University. I am working as a trainer with the aim of becoming the best in Japan. I have been interested in parasports since I was at high school, and I would like more people to know about parasports.
Research interest: I would like to know what kind of activities should be done to raise public awareness of parasports.
Rinne TSUCHIYA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I played soccer competitively from when I was 6 years old until the last year at Rikkyo University. I still like to play soccer. I also like to watch basketball.
Research interest: I am interested to understand how to maintain injured athletes’ motivation for their sports. I am also interested in the psychological impact of nutrition on athletic performance.
Airu YOSHIDA
Undergraduate (Year 3)
Background: I have practiced Karate since I was 3 years old. I also started kickboxing when I was 16 years old. I have been doing “Martial Arts” for a long time.
Research interest: I am interested to know how to focus on a significant tournament.
Lab Alumni @ Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Postgraduates
PhD
- Dr. Mark Anthony CHAN Wen Kein (Completed, June 2022)
- Dr. Bernadette Bree ASHLEY Lim Yan (Completed, May 2021)
Undergraduates
- Alana Ang (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2022)
- Dzul Irfan (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2022)
- Edward Say (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2022)
- Foo Jun Wei (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2022)
- Tan Qi Qing (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2022)
- Kimmy Low (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2021)
- Vivien Tan (Academic Exercise Project, Completed, April 2021)
- Andi Agus, (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2021)
- Bryan Tan (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2021)
- Vivien Tan (URECA, Completed, April 2020)
- Goh Gint (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2020)
- Siti Aisha Binte Omar (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2020)
- Ivan Oh Teng Fong (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2020)
- Wee Wan Qi (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2020)
- Lye Chiew Min (Academic Exercise Project, Completed, April 2020)
- Ong Hui Lin Tracy (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Gin Tan (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Lam Pui Shan (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Nur Syahida Jamaluddin (Academic Exercise Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Lim Szu Wen, Isabelle (URECA, Completed, April 2020)
- Lye Chiew Min (URECA, Completed, Recipient of URECA Undergraduate Research Excellence Award 2020)
- Seah Jin Feng, Fiona (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Chen Siow Ee (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Trevis Lee (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Yeep Jun Hui (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2019)
- Ho Shu Yu (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2018)
- Mohamed Durrani Bin Bidin (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2018)
- Matthew Yeo Ming Chong (Final Year Project, Completed, April 2018)
- Noridayu Binte Roslan (Educational Research Project, Completed, Feb 2018)
- Siti Nadia Mohamed Rafii (Academic Exercise Project, Graduated, December 2017)
- Toh Jin Wei (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2017)
- Wong Sook Young (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2017)
- Neo Shao Hoon (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2017)
- Sarah See Wan Jun (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2017)
- Cho Jin Jin Tessa (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2017)
- Yukie Yoshida (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2017)
- Soo Ding-Shun Jacky (URECA, Completed, May 2016)
- Tan Wei En (URECA, Completed, May 2016)
- Fiona Lim Qing Xue (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2016)
- Ng Mun Hoong, Melody (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2016)
- Tan Jin Han (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2016)
- Toh Shuqin (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2016)
- T.Piriyah (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2016)
- Chow Zi Siong (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2016)
- Victoria Chan (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2015)
- Jian Huan Cheng (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2015)
- Khai Leng Chua (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2015)
- Deborah Saw (Final Year Project, Graduate, July 2016)
- Joey Ang (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2014)
- Deborah Guo (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2014)
- Stephanie Tabalujan (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2014)
- Jayalakshmy Aarthi Ananthanarayanan (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2013)
- Huang Yuchi (Final Year Project, Graduated, July 2013)