James was born in Yokohama and raised in rural Yamagata, Japan. He moved to the U.S. after high school and earned a BA in literature from Wheaton College and an MFA in acting and directing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. James is based in NYC, working as an actor, director, translator, and writer. Many fans know him as Robert Minoru from Marvel's Runaways. He has originated many roles on and off Broadway, including Sarah Ruhl's The Oldest Boy, Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out (2003
