Akihiro Otsuka is a Professor at Yokohama City University. His research lies in regional science, urban economics, regional economics, spatial economics, and energy economics.

His work examines agglomeration economies, borrowed size, spatial interdependence, productivity and efficiency, regional resilience, and regional sustainability, with a particular focus on mature economies and the Japanese regional system.

His Springer monograph trilogy develops an empirical research program on agglomeration economies, regional sustainability, borrowed size, and regional resilience in Japan. 

He has received the Martin Beckmann RSAI Annual Award (2011) and the Regional Science Policy & Practice (RSPP) Annual Paper Award (2017).