Environmental Psychology Research /
Research on Education in General
Using social psychological theories, I have been studying factors that influence public environmental attitudes, pro-environmental behaviors, and other cognitive components. Examples of key concepts and models utilized and tested in my research are but not limited to sense of place, social trust, social norm, hope, life satisfaction, behavioral intention, and risk perception.
I also conduct research on education in general, especially regarding university education. I believe faculty member are responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the courses I teach and for investigating issues with regard to education that exist in universities. One of the research I have been involved in include comparison of efforts for faculty development among several universities.
Currently, I am involved in developing a program to foster leadership and other skills in university students. Collaborating with students in my laboratory and faculty in other departments, I conduct a research on the “development and evaluation of leadership/followership programs applying space flight resource management.”

Coastal area in Japan where a public survey on sense of place was conducted
Example of a chapter I wrote in a book
Example of papers on environmental psychology research
Sense of place and willingness to conserve the region
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2017. Sense of place and attitudes towards future generations for conservation of coastal areas in the Satoumi of Japan. Biological Conservation 209: 332-340.
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2016. Factors affecting residents’ behavioral intentions for coastal conservation: case study at Shizugawa Bay, Miyagi, Japan. Marine Policy 67: 1-9.
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2015. Factors influencing public participation in conservation activities in urban areas: a case study in Yokohama, Japan. Biological Conservation 184: 424-430.
Hope theory and life satisfaction level
Perceptions of culture and risk perception toward climate change
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2011. Culture and climate change: Japanese cherry blossom festivals and stakeholders’ knowledge and attitudes about global climate change. Biological Conservation 144(1): 654-658.
- Sakurai, R. et al. 2014. Japanese perceptions of climate change and their behavioral intentions of visiting cherry blossom festival. Global Advanced Research Journal of Social Science 3(3): 37-43.
Environmental economics research on WTP in comparison to inferred value
Example of papers about research on education at large
- Sakurai, R. 2019. “Role-playing workshop regarding wildlife issues targeting undergraduate students”. Policy Science 26(2). (in Japanese with English abstract).
- Sakurai, R. 2017. “Educational effects of a mandatory first year experience course: what do students at College of Policy Science learn in the Introductory Seminar?” Ritsumeikan Higher Educational Studies 17. (in Japanese with English abstract).
- Sakurai, R. 2016. “Innovative efforts toward FD (Faculty Development) and potentials of applying to CRPS program at College of Policy Science: a report on the research of domestic FD activities of 2015”. Policy Science 24(1):61-68. (in Japanese with English abstract).