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 monographs trace the development of empirical research on agglomeration economies, interregional networks, regional sustainability, borrowed size, and regional resilience in Japan. 

His research has received the Martin Beckmann RSAI Annual Award (2011), the RSPP Annual Paper Award (2017), and the Oishi Yasuhiko Award (2022).