Masami K Yamaguchi (Head of the Yamaguchi Lab, Professor of Chuo University; JST-PRESTO)

So Kanazawa (Japan Women's University)

Emi Nakato (National Institute for Physiological Sciences)

Yuko Hibi (Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University)

Yumiko Otsuka (Japan Women's University; JSPS)

Aki Tsuruhara(Chuo University)

Hiroko Ichikawa (Chuo University)

Midori Takashima (Chuo University)

Wakayo Yamashita (Chuo University)

Yang Jiale (Chuo University)

Megumi Kobayashi (Chuo University)

Yuka Yamazaki (Chuo University)



Masaki Tomonaga (Associate professor at Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University)

Hervé Abdi (Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas)

Alice J. O'Toole (Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas)



Otsuka, Y., Yamazaki, Y., Konishi, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., & Spehar, B. (2008). Infants' perception of transprency. The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science (Summary of Awarded Presentation), 27 (1), 125-126.

Otsuka, Y., Konishi, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., Abdi, H. & O'Toole A.J. (in press). The recognition of moving and static faces by young infants. Child Development.

Shirai, N., Birtles, D., Wattam-Bell, J., Yamaguchi, M.K., Kanazawa, S., Atkinson, J., & Braddick, O. (in press). Asymmetrical cortical processing of radial expansion/contraction in infants and adults. Developmental Science.

Otsuka, Y., Yamazaki, Y., Konishi, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., & Spehar, B. (2008). The perception of illusory transparent surfaces in infancy: early emergence of sensitivity to static pictorial cues. Journal of Vision, 8(16), 1-12.

Wada, Y., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., Midorikawa, A., Kanazawa, S., Dan, I., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (in press). Sound Enhances Detection of Visual Target in Infancy: A Study Using Illusory Contours. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2008). Sensitivity to rotational motion in early infancy. Experimental Brain Research, 190, 201-206.

Otsuka, Y., Konishi, Y., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K.. The effect of occlusion on motion integration in infants. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 35(1), 72-82.

Imura, T., Shirai, N., Tomonaga, M., Yamaguchi, M. K., & Yagi, A. (in press). Asymmetry on the perception of motion in depth by moving cast shadows. Journal of Vision.

Nakato, E., Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., Watanabe, S., Kakigi, R.(2009). When do infants differentiate profile face from frontal face? A near-infrared spectroscopic study. Human Brain Mapping, 30(2), 462-472.

Imura, T., Tomonaga, M., Yamaguchi, M. K., & Yagi, A. (2008). Asymmetry in the detection of shapes from shading in infants. Japanese Psychological Research, 50, 128-136.

Imura, T., Yamaguchi, M. K., Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., Tomonaga, M., & Yagi, A.(2008). Infants' sensitivity to shading and line junctions. Vision Research, 48, 1420-1426.

Shirai N., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2008). Early development of sensitivity to radial motion at different speeds. Experimental Brain Research.185, 461-467.

Yamaguchi, M.K., Kanazawa, S., & Okamura, H. (2008). Infants' perception of subjective contours from apparent motion. Infant Behavior and Development. 31, 127-136. [abstract & demo]

Okamura, H., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2007). Development of chromatic induction in infancy. Infant and Child Development. 16(6), 629-648.

Imura, T., Shirai, N., Tomonaga, M., Yamaguchi, M. K., & Yagi, A. (2007).
Asymmetry on the perception of approaching or receding objects defined by moving cast shadows. The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science, 25(2), 267-268.

Shirai, N., Birtles, D., Wattam-Bell, J., Yamaguchi, M.K., Kanazawa, S., Atkinson, J., & Braddick, O. (2007). Development of asymmetrical cortical responses to radial expansion/contraction. The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science, 25(2), 275-276.

Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2007). Perception of motion transparency in 5-month-old infants. Perception. 36 (1), 145-156.

Otsuka, Y., Nakato, E., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., Watanabe, S., & Kakigi, R. (2007). Neural activation to upright and inverted faces in infants measured by near infrared spectroscopy.NeuroImage, 34 (1), 399-406.

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M. K. (2006). Perceptual transparency in 3- to 4-month-old infants. Perception, 35(12), 1625-1636.

Imura, T., Tomonaga, M., Yamaguchi, M. K., & Yagi, A. (2006). Perception of motion trajectories of objects from moving cast shadows in human infants, Japanese macaque infants, and adult chimpanzee. The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science, 25(1) 121-122.

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2006). Development of modal and amodal completion in infants. Perception, 35(9), 1251-1264.

Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2006). Anisotropic motion coherence sensitivities to expansion/contraction motion in early infancy. Infant Behavior and Development, 29, 204-209. [abstract & demo]

Imura, T., Yamaguchi, M.K., Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., Tomonaga, M., & Yagi, A. (2006). Perception of motion trajectory of object from the moving cast shadow in infants. Vision Research, 46(5), 652-657.

Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2006). Perception of opposite-moving dots in 3- to 5-month-old infants. Vision Research, 46(3), 346-356.

Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2005). Young infants' sensitivity to shading stimuli with radial motion. Japanese Psychological Research, 47(4), 286-291.

Otsuka Y., Kanazawa S., Yamaguchi M.K , O'Toole AJ, Abdi H.(2005) The Effect of Motion Information on Infants’Recognition of Unfamiliar Face. The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science, 24 , 125-126.

Myowa-Yamakoshi, M., Yamaguchi, M. K., Tomonaga, M., Tanaka, M., & Matsuzawa, T. (2005). Development of face perception in infant chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Cognitive Development, 20, 49-63.

Tomonaga, M., Tanaka, M., Matsuzawa, T., Myowa-Yamakoshi, M. Y., Kosugi, D., Mizuno. Y., Okamoto, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., & Bard, K.A. (2004). Development of social cognition in infant chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Face recognition, smiling, gaze, and the lack of tradic interaction. Japanese Psychological Research, 46, 227-235.

Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2004). Sensitivity to linear-speed-gradient of radial expansion flow in infancy. Vision Research, 44, 3111-3118. [abstract & demo]

Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2004). Asymmetry for the perception of expansion/contraction in infancy.Infant Behavior and Development, 27(3) , 315-322.[abstract & demo]

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2004). The effect of support ratio on infants' perception of illusory contours. Perception, 33, 807-816.

Murai, C., Tomonaga, M., Kamegai, K., Terazawa, N., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2004). Do infant Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) categorize objects without specific trainings ? Primates, 45(1), 1-6.

Shirai, N., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2004). Asymmetry in the perception of motion-in-depth, Vision Research, 44(10), 1003-11. [abstract & demo]

Otsuka, Y., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2003). Infants' perception of illusory contours in static and moving figures. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 86(3), 244-251.

Yamaguchi, M. K. (2000). Discriminating the sex of faces by 6 and 8 month old infants, Perceptual and Motor Skills, 91, 653-664.
Yamaguchi, M.K., & Oda, M. (1999). Does Cardioidal starin change in real front view face images tend to change the perceived age? Electronics and Communications in Japan, 82(5), 39-48.


Tomonaga, M., Myowa-yamakoshi, M., Mizuno, Y., Okamoto, S., Yamaguchi, M. K., Kosugi, D., Bard, K. M., Tanaka, M., & Matsuzawa, T. (2006) Chimpanzee social cognition in early life: comparative-developmental perspective. In Wasserman & Zentall (Eds.) Comparative cognition: Experimental explanations of animal intelligence. Oxford press, 639-650.

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2006). Infants' perception of illusory contours. In J.R., Marrow (Eds.) Focus on Child Psychology Research. Nova Science, 59-80.


Hibi, Y., Kumada, T., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2008). Inter-trial facilitation on visual feature search in infants. Psychonomic Society 49th Annual Meeting, (Chicago, U.S.A.).

Nakato E., Otsuka Y., Yamaguchi, M.K., & Kakigi, R. (2008). Perception of mother’s face using near-infrared spectroscopy. The Vision Sciences Society 8th Annual Meeting, (Florida, USA).

Otsuka, Y., Yamazaki, Y., Konishi, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi M.K., & Spehar, B. (2008). Perception of illusory transparent surface by young infants. The Vision Sciences Society 8th Annual Meeting, (Florida, USA).

Yang, J., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2008). Perception of neon color spreading in 3- to 6- month old infants. The Vision Sciences Society 8th Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Tsuruhara, A., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2008). Effects of reference frame on the perception of human-body orientation in infancy. The Vision Sciences Society 8th Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Imura, T., Yamaguchi, M.K., Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., Tomonaga, M., Yagi, A. (2007). Perception of shape from shading and line junctions in infants. 30th European Conference on Visual Perception, (Arezzo, Italy).

Nakato, E., Hill, H., Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K. (2007). The hollow face illusion in infancy. 30th European Conference on Visual Perception, (Arezzo, Italy).

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., Konishi, Y., Abdi, H., O’Toole, A.J. (2007). Three-months recognition memory for faces in moving and static figures. 30th European Conference on Visual Perception, (Arezzo, Italy).

Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K. (2007). Differential development of radial and rotational motions in early infancy. 30th European Conference on Visual Perception, (Arezzo, Italy).

Tsuruhara, A., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi M.K. (2007). Perception of orientation with an oblique and upright frame in infancy. 30th European Conference on Visual Perception, (Arezzo, Italy).

Yamaguchi, M.K., Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., Otsuka, Y., Tsuruhara, A., Kaneko, H. (2007). Perception of surface slant produced by horizontal and vertical disparities in human infants. 30th European Conference on Visual Perception, (Arezzo, Italy).

Yamaguchi, M.K. (2007). Infants' brain activity in face perception. Visual Perception and Cognition Conference (invited talk, July 23-25, 2007), (University of Minnesota, USA)

Shirai, N., Kawabe, T., Wada, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., & Miura, K. (2007). Auditory temporal intervals distort infant perception of visual spatial interval. 8th Annual Meeting of the International Multisensory Research Forum, (Sydney, Australia).

Wada, Y., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., Dan, I., Kohyama, K., Midorikawa, A., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2007). Sound enhances visual detection of illusory contour in infants.8th Annual Meeting of the International Multisensory Research Forum, (Sydney, Australia).

Nakato E., Otsuka Y., Yamaguchi MK., Kakigi, R. (2007). Infants’ brain activity on perception of different view faces using Near-infrared spectroscopy. The Vision Sciences Society Seventh Annual Meeting, (Florida, USA).

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., Yamaguchi, M.K., Abdi, H., O’Toole, A.J. (2007). The development of face discrimination skill in infants. The Vision Sciences Society Seventh Annual Meeting, (Florida, USA).

Shirai, N., Imura, T., Hattori, Y., Tomonaga, M., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2007). Perception of radial motion in Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) infants. The Vision Sciences Society Seventh Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Shirai, N., Birtles, D., Wattam-Bell, J., Yamaguchi, M.K., Kanazawa, S., Atkinson, J., & Braddick, O. (2006). Anistropic cortical responses for radial expansion/contraction in infants and adults. 29th European Conference on Visual Perception, (St Petersburg, Russia).

Imura, T., Shirai, N., Yamaguchi, M.K., Tomonaga, M., & Yagi, A. (2006).Asymmetry on the perception of motion in depth by moving cast shadows. 29th European Conference on Visual Perception, (St Petersburg, Russia).

Kanazawa, S., Kitaoka, A., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2006). Infants see the "Rotating Snake" illusion. 29th European Conference on Visual Perception, (St Petersburg, Russia).

Otsuka Y., Kanazawa S., Yamaguchi M.K. (2006) Infants’ perception of partly occluded object in ambiguous motion display. 29th European Conference on Visual Perception, (St Petersburg, Russia).

Nakato, E., Kanazwa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2006). The 3/4 view effect in infancy - Behavioral and Neuroscience data. 29th European Conference on Visual Perception, (St Petersburg, Russia).

Imura, T., Yamaguchi, M.K., Tomonaga, M., & Yagi, A. (2006). Perception of motion trajectory from moving cast shadow in humans and Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). The 15th Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies , (Kyoto, Japan)

Kanazawa, S., Kitaoka, A., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2006). Perception of illusory motion in 6- to 8-month old infants. The 15th Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies , (Kyoto, Japan)

Okamura, H., Kanazawa, S. & Yamaguchi, M. K. (2006). Infant's perception of Color-from-Motion stimulus. The 15th Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies , (Kyoto, Japan)

Otsuka Y., Nakato E., Kanazawa S., Yamaguchi M.K. & Kakigi R. (2006). Interhemispheric asymmetry in infants' face recognition measured by near infrared spectroscopy. The 15th Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies , (Kyoto, Japan)

Shirai N., Kanazawa S., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2006). Velocity sensitivity to radial and rotational motion in 3 months of age. The 15th Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies , (Kyoto, Japan)

Imura, T., Yamaguchi, M.K., Kanazawa S.,Shirai N., Otsuka Y., Tomonaga, M., & Yagi, A. (2006). Perception of 3-D shape from moving cast shadow in human infants. The Vision Sciences Society Sixth Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2006). Perceptual development of directional transparent motion in infancy. The Vision Sciences Society Sixth Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Nakato E., Kanazawa S., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2006). The 3/4 view effect and the rotation information in infants' face recognition. The Vision Sciences Society Sixth Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Otsuka Y., Kanazawa S., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2006). The effect of occlusion on motion integration in infants. The Vision Sciences Society Sixth Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Shirai N., Kanazawa S., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2006). Early development of velocity sensitivity to rotational motion. The Vision Sciences Society Sixth Annual Meeting,(Florida, USA).

Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S. & Yamaguchi, M. K. (2005). Early development of velocity sensitivity to radial motion. 28th European Conference on Visual Perception, (A Coruna, Spain)

Otuska, Y., Kanazawa, S. & Yamaguchi, M. K. (2005). The effect of occlusion information on motion integration in infants. 28th European Conference on Visual Perception, (A Coruna, Spain)

Nakato, E., Kanazawa, S. & Yamaguchi, M. K. (2005). The effect of rotation information on infant's recognition of unfamiliar faces viewed from different viewpoint. 28th European Conference on Visual Perception, (A Coruna, Spain)

Konuma, H., Kanazawa, S. & Yamaguchi, M. K. (2005). Analytical and configural processing in infants' gaze perception. 28th European Conference on Visual Perception, (A Coruna, Spain)

Okamura, H., Kanazawa, S. & Yamaguchi, M. K. (2005). Chromatic induction in infancy. 28th European Conference on Visual Perception, (A Coruna, Spain)

Otsuka Y., Kanazawa S., Yamaguchi M.K , O'Toole AJ, Abdi H.(2005) The Effect of Motion Information on Infants’Recognition of Unfamiliar Face. The Vision Sciences Society 5th Annual Meeting. (Florida, USA)

Shirai N., Kanazawa S., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2005). Early Development of Anisotropic Sensitivities for expansion/contraction Detection. The Vision Sciences Society 5th Annual Meeting. (Sarasota, USA)

Imura, T., Tomonaga, M., Yamaguchi, M.K., & Yagi, A. (2004). Perception of Depth from Shading in Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and Human (Homo sapiens) Infants. The XIVth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies. (Chicago, USA)

Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2004). Perception of Motion Transparency in Infancy. The XIVth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies. (Chicago, USA)

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2004). Development of Modal and Amodal Completion in Infants. The XIVth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies. (Chicago, USA)

Shirai, N., Kanazawa S., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2004). Development of the sensitivity to linear-acceleration of radial expansion flow. The XIVth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies. (Chicago, USA)

Yamaguchi, M.K., Otsuka, Y., Shirai, N., Kanazawa, S., & Abdi, H. (2004). Infant's Facial Learning in Poor Visual Acuity. The XIVth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies. (Chicago, USA)

Kanazawa, S., Shirai, N., Otsuka, Y., & Yamaguchi, M.K. (2003). Perception of motion transparency in infants. 26th European Conference on Visual Perception (Paris, France)

Otsuka, Y., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K.（2003). Modal and amodal contour completion in infancy. 26th European Conference on Visual Perception (Paris, France)

Shirai N., Kanazawa, S., & Yamaguchi, M.K.（2003). Development of asymmetry for the perception of expansion/contraction. 26th European Conference on Visual Perception (Paris, France)

Yamaguchi, M.K., Otsuka, Y., & Shirai, N.（2003). Infants’face perception using symmetrical pattern. 26th European Conference on Visual Perception (Paris, France)

Otsuka Y., Kanazawa S., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2002). Infants' perception of subjective contours in the static and moving figures. The XIIIth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies (Toronto, Canada)

Yamaguchi M.K., Tomonaga, M., & Kanazawa S. (2002). Constructing the prototype face: Infant and monkeys. The XIIIth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies (Toronto, Canada)

Hirata Y., & Yamaguchi M.K. (2002). Recognition of upright and inverted faces in infants. The XIIIth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies (Toronto, Canada)



Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas,"Face perception and recognition", by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.
2009 Oct.-2011 Mar.(Research Project Number:21119519)

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A), by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS).
2009 Apr.-2014 Mar.(Research Project Number:21243041)

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas,"Face perception and recognition", by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.
2008 Oct.-2013 Mar.(Research Project Number:20119002)

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C), by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS).
2008 Oct.-2011 Mar.(Research Project Number:20539004)

Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, "Foundation of technology supporting the creation of digital media contents."
2006 Oct-2010 Mar.