“Making Society a Better Place”: Interview with Momoko Nakamura

ABSTRACT In this interview, Momoko Nakamura reflects on her pioneering contributions to Japanese sociolinguistics, particularly in the study of language, gender, and sexuality. She highlights her research on the ideological construction of Japanese women's language, the importance of metapragmatic discourse analysis, and the role of historical perspectives in understanding language ideologies. Nakamura‐sensei discusses her efforts in bridging academic research and public discourse, noting her work's inclusion in high school textbooks and her many engagements with general audiences in Japan. She also addresses current challenges in Japanese sociolinguistics, particularly the marginalization of the field, compared to national language studies. Looking forward, she advocates for sociolinguistic research that balances rigorous linguistic analysis with addressing pressing social issues, such as gendered pronoun norms affecting sexual minority youth. Through her career, Nakamura‐sensei emphasizes the responsibility of scholars to support social change by making research accessible beyond academia.