James was born in Yokohama, Japan, and spent his formative years in rural Yamagata before making the bold decision to relocate to the United States after completing his high school education.
He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature from Wheaton College, a prestigious institution known for its academic excellence, and subsequently pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting and directing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a renowned institution in the field of performing arts.
Currently based in New York City, James is a multifaceted artist, exceling as an actor, director, translator, and writer. His impressive list of credits includes originating roles on and off Broadway, such as Sarah Ruhl's The Oldest Boy, Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out, which earned a Tony Award for Best Play in 2003, A Naked Girl on the Appian Way, John Guare's A Few Stout Individuals, and Julia Cho's Durango.
In addition to his stage work, James has also made a name for himself as a director, helming productions such as My Friend Has Come for the Asian American Writers Workshop, Dancing with the Bird at the Japan Society in New York, "Clippy and Ms. U" for Ma-Yi Studios, and Ready or Not and It's a Jungle Out There for the 52nd Street Project Playmaking series.
James made his foray into filmmaking in 2011 with Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty, which won the Best Feature award in the DIY film competition at the Northside Festival, a prominent art festival held in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
In addition to his artistic pursuits, James is also the conceiver of the theater benefit "SHINSAI: Theaters for Japan," which took place on March 11, 2012, the one-year anniversary of the devastating disasters in Japan, and involved participation from nearly 100 theaters internationally.
Furthermore, James frequently collaborates with Japanese artists, translating award-winning contemporary Japanese plays and subtitling major Japanese studio films.
Outside of his artistic endeavors, James is also an accomplished martial artist, holding black belts in judo and aikido.
