Mizuko Ito
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Mizuko Ito is a cultural anthropologist studying media technology use as a teaching fellow and research scientist at the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern California. In addition, she is a visiting associate professor at the Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance.
Ito grew up between the United States and Japan. In Japan, she attended Nishimachi International School and the American School in Japan. She did her undergraduate work at Harvard University, graduating in 1990 with a degree in East Asian studies. There, her thesis was "Zen and Tea Ritual: A Comparative Analysis."
Ito began her graduate work at Stanford University. In 1991, she received a Masters of Arts degree in anthropology; her thesis was "The Holistic Alternative: A Symbolic Analysis of an Emergent Culture." In 1998, she received a Ph.D. from the Department of Education for her dissertation: "Interactive Media for Play: Kids, Computer Games and the Productions of Everyday Life." In 2003, she received a Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology for her dissertation: "Engineering Play: Children’s Software and the Productions of Everyday Life."
Today, Ito is known for her work exploring the ways in which digital media are changing relationships, identities, and communities. With Misa Matsuda and Daisuke Okabe, Ito edited a book "Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile Phones in Japanese Life," published in 2005 by MIT Press.
Ito lives in Southern California with her husband, Scott Fisher, a virtual reality researcher, and their two children. She keeps a Bento Moblog, a visual record of the school lunches she prepares for her kids. Ito's brother is Joichi, a venture capitalist. With her brother, she hosts Chanpon.org, to foster intercultural dialog.
