Morokami Seminar | Hosei University, Faculty of Social Sciences

The Morokami Seminar is a practice-oriented marketing seminar led by Professor Shigemitsu Morokami of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Hosei University. Centered on consumer psychology and behavior, we engage in a wide range of industry-academia collaborative projects with companies and municipalities — including regional revitalization, tourism promotion, and product development.

We place great importance on sustained fieldwork engagement with local communities, including regional branding support in Hinohara Village, Tokyo, and the community revitalization project "Choshi Iine! Conference" in Choshi City, Chiba. Through industry-academia partnerships — including crowdfunded product commercialization — we explore the question: "Why do people find certain regions and products attractive?"

Consumer Psychology Consumer Behavior Marketing Regional Branding Regional Revitalization Rural Development Advertising & Promotion Tourism Development Fieldwork Product Development Industry-Academia Collaboration

Prospective Seminar Members

Find out about the seminar atmosphere, hear from alumni, and learn about the selection process.

Student & Alumni Voices → Seminar Selection →

For Business & Community Partners

¥507,820 raised via crowdfunding · 719 booth visitors at a trade show (record high) — a track record of industry-academia collaboration.

View our activities → Contact us →

What's New

* Updates are posted in Japanese.

Selected Projects

Region / Partner Activities Period

Choshi City, Chiba Regional revitalization, branding, and fieldwork ("Choshi Iine! Conference") 2025–ongoing

Tokyo-based Company Expanding supplement distribution, consumer promotion strategy, in-store implementation (sales targets exceeded) 2024–2025

Tokyo-based Company Development of leg cosmetics, crowdfunding campaign, commercialization 2022–2024

Hinohara Village, Tokyo Regional branding proposals, on-site surveys, statistical analysis, academic presentations 2018

Hinohara Village / Tokyo Company Cosmetics product planning using local cypress resources, promotion, trade show exhibition, media coverage 2014–2017

Additional projects include collaborations with food, cosmetics, and environmental energy companies. See the Activities page for details.

Competition & Contest Record

Competition Overview & Results Year

FM Aichi CM Contest Radio CM planning and production contest 2025–

University Consulting Competition (ConCom) End-to-end consulting proposals for real business challenges. Multiple championship and award wins; joint practice projects with companies 2016–

Marketing Strategy Contest "EDGE" Macromill-sponsored strategy contest. Seminar team placed as finalist 2020

National University Marketing Contest Nationwide competition. Reached Kanto regional final; 3rd place nationally 2014–

Mynavi Problem-Solving Project Company-sponsored challenge project. 2nd place finish 2021

Student Advertising Creative Award Advertising creative competition. Silver Prize and Special Judge's Award (Ikeda Prize) at 1st edition 2019

For full results by cohort, see the Activity History page.

Faculty Advisor

Shigemitsu Morokami

もろかみしげみつ

Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Hosei University
Ph.D. in Engineering, University of Tsukuba

Specializations: Consumer Psychology, Regional Design, Theoretical Neuroscience

Office: Bldg. 915, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tama Campus

→ Research profile on researchmap

Three Pillars of Learning

① Theory & Knowledge

Students read and discuss academic texts on consumer psychology, marketing, and advertising effectiveness to build theoretical foundations.

② Research & Analysis

Through surveys and statistical analysis, students empirically explore the latent psychology and needs of consumers.

③ Empirical Research & Practice

Students develop real skills through product development and sales strategy proposals in collaboration with companies and municipalities, and through participation in national marketing competitions.

Sample Research Themes

Private Brands and Consumer Psychology
Effectiveness of Digital Signage
Psychological Effects of Nostalgic Advertising
Humor in Advertising: Effects and Constraints
Mascot Characters and Regional Image
Social Media Word-of-Mouth Effects
Social Media's Impact on Tourism Motivation
Onomatopoeia in Advertising
Product Packaging and Consumer Behavior
CSR Activities and Advertising Effectiveness
Expressions Promoting Fan Spending (Oshi-katsu)
Persuasive Effects of VTubers
Psychological Effects of Teaser Advertising
Consumer Psychology of Anime Pilgrimage Tourism
Messaging Strategies for Ethical Consumption
Regional Branding and Tourism Value

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Morokami Seminar research?

We research consumer psychology and behavior, with a focus on marketing, regional branding, tourism, and advertising/promotion. Both theory and practice are used to explore the question "What makes people find certain regions and products attractive?"

Who is the faculty advisor?

Professor Shigemitsu Morokami of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Hosei University. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tsukuba and specializes in consumer psychology, regional design, and theoretical neuroscience.

What activities does the seminar engage in?

Our three pillars are: (1) reading and discussing academic texts on theory, (2) conducting surveys and statistical analysis, and (3) proposing product development and sales strategies in collaboration with companies and municipalities. We also participate in national marketing competitions.

What is the Morokami Seminar Association?

It is the general incorporated association formed from Hosei University's Morokami Seminar, established to expand the social foundation of seminar activities and strengthen collaboration with companies, municipalities, and the alumni network.

What topics do graduation theses cover?

Topics include the psychological effects of nostalgic advertising, social media's impact on tourism motivation, mascot characters and regional image, persuasive effects of VTubers, product packaging and consumer behavior, regional branding and tourism value, and many more.

Explore the Seminar

What We Study → Our Activities → Choshi Iine! Project → Activity History → Faculty Profile → Contact → Morokami Seminar Association →