Yasushi Tonaga is a professor at the Institute of Asian and African Field Studies, in Kyoto University. He is also the current director of the Kenan Rifâî Centre for Sufi Studies and the Centre for Islamic Studies at Kyoto University. He graduated from the University of Tokyo, and received his doctorate from Kyoto University. His major field of interest includes Ibn ‘Arabī and Akbarian school. He is also the president of the Japan Association for Middle Eastern Studies.