Executive Director of the Maison francojaponaise and professor at Shirayuri University. Served as Director of the Maison du Japon at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris from 1999 to 2001. Specializes in French medieval literature. His books include For those wishing to study French medieval literature (co-author, 2007, Sekaishisosha-Kyogakusha), A First Book of French (1992, Kodansha), and Le Roman de la Rose (translation and annotation, 1996, Heibonsha; recipient of the 48th Yomiuri Prize for Literature, Prize for Scholarship and Translation).