Natsue Koikawa

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Natsue Koikawa (born February 2, 1972) is a Japanese former long-distance runner who is now a university professor and coach at Juntendo University in Japan. She competed for Japan at the World Cross Country Championships in 1990 (Aix-les-Bains), finishing 14th with a time of 14:39, and in 1991 (Antwerp), finishing 19th with a time of 14:56. She also ran the 10,000 meters at the 1993 Buffalo Universiade, finishing in 33:01.81.

Koikawa is an Associate Professor of Sports Science at Juntendo University, Director of Women’s Track and Field, and the Deputy Director of the Japanese Center for Research on Women in Sport. Her research focuses on the dynamics of female athletic competition and coaching, and she has published work on the different needs of female athletes compared with their male counterparts. At the university, she also works to raise funds for the athletics program, teaches, conducts research, and coaches. The funds support three annual training camps, with Koikawa seeking support from supplement makers and food manufacturers because athletes receive limited university funding. She recruits new athletes and has noted that she faces less respect than her male colleagues. As of 2016, she was the only female head coach at the university level in Japan.