Taku Watanabe (born 1975) is a Japanese researcher and practitioner specializing in disability rights and care work. After earning a master's degree in philosophy from Kyoto University, he joined the Japan Council on Independent Living Centers (JCIL), where he has worked to support independent living for people with severe disabilities as a care coordinator and advocate. Drawing on his practical experience, his writings examine disability rights, the independent living movement, and the social and political dimensions of care work. His books include How Caregivers Live and The Wounds of Disabled People, the Pain of Caregivers.