Benjamin Boas

Benjamin Boas is author of "Learning about Japan through Manga and Video Games," itself a manga published by Shogakukan, and is a Cool Japan Ambassador on behalf of the Japanese Government’s Cabinet Office. Benjamin’s writing has been published by organizations including The Japan Times, The Yomiuri Shimbun and Studio Ghibli, and he regularly appears on television programs for NHK World.

After graduating from Brown University, Benjamin studied at Kyoto University on a Fulbright Fellowship and has held research positions at the University of Tokyo, Osaka University of Commerce and Keio University.

Outside of work, Benjamin is an avid mahjong player and has placed in two international championships. He holds a 2nd-degree black belt and instructor certification from the Yoshinkan Aikido Hombu Dojo.

What’s Cool about Cool Japan?: An Insider’s Look at a Domestic Reaction to an International Phenomenon

July 6, 2020May 10, 2019 By Benjamin Boas

In this lecture, Benjamin Boas, a Cool Japan Ambassador working with the government’s Cabinet Office, takes a critical look at the history of Japanese culture’s appeal abroad, the ways this appeal is spread and the differing ways the phenomenon is seen domestically and abroad.