Chihiro Toya

Chihiro holds an MA in Gender Studies from SOAS and an MA in Human Security from the University of Tokyo. In collaboration with the University of Tokyo, she co-created a bystander intervention booklet addressing sexual discrimination and violence, which was distributed to all first-year students during orientation week in 2020. Together with members of a grassroots group, she also co-designed courses on gender and sexuality, offered there to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

Chihiro has critically examined the polarised debates on sex work by focusing on the experiences and initiatives of tojisha (persons directly concerned). Based on her fieldwork, her previous research explored the definition of empowerment for sex workers in Thailand, arguing that they are often categorised monolithically due to stigma and prejudice, and highlighting the complex circumstances of individuals frequently overlooked by government institutions. 

More recently, Chihiro has been involved in the JSPS KAKEN project “Migration, Human Trafficking: Narratives and Networks.” Using a creative method—the sociogram, a visual representation of interpersonal relationships created by research participants—this project explores the complex trajectories of migrant sex workers across nine countries. Her current research project involves co-filmmaking with SWASH (Sex Work and Sexual Health). Through this collaborative and participatory method with Japanese sex worker activists, Chihiro explores the possibilities and impossibilities of participatory action research, focusing on the role of tojisha, power dynamics within communities, representation issues of marginalised communities, and the effects of creative methods as counter-media. 

Through reflections on the filmmaking process, her doctoral thesis will also examine how and when participants’ performances change, with a focus on performativity and performing identity. To contribute directly to the community beyond academia, the film is planned to be screened at several film festivals. This approach reflects the core principles of participatory action research, aiming to bring the benefits of research to the community and promote positive change. Chihiro’s scholarship has been supported by JASSO, Meiji Jingu, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee (JFEC), and the Saitama Scholarship (Yoshino Denka).

Sex Work Research

Feminist and queer theory

Feminist anthropology

Activism

Participatory methods

Japan Studies, and Cultural studies