Doctoral candidate in project 12 - Mizuki Igata

My name is Mizuki Igata. I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and hold a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Tokyo and an MA in Medical Anthropology and Mental Health from SOAS University of London. My sustained research interest lies in the uncertainty embedded in experiences of mental health problems, and the subjectivity of what is sometimes called "madness." I have conducted several fieldworks in Japanese mental healthcare settings.

My project: 
My PhD project investigates how gambling becomes entangled with youth experiences of mental distress in Kampala, Uganda. Contemporary gambling epidemics in East Africa are often associated with male-dominated sports betting venues; however, the rapid expansion of mobile platforms has diversified gambling practices and rendered them increasingly invisible, making them accessible to wider groups, especially women and younger populations. Amid rapid capitalism and fluctuating living conditions, my project aims to capture how boundaries between opportunity, responsibility, and addiction are constructed, and how young people interpret and manage "risk" in a postcolonial urban environment.