James Yaegashi

James Yaegashi, a versatile talent in the performing arts, was born in Yokohama and grew up in the rural landscapes of Yamagata, Japan. After completing high school, he relocated to the United States, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts in literature from Wheaton College and later obtained a Master of Fine Arts in acting and directing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Now based in New York City, James has made a name for himself as an actor, director, translator, and writer. He gained significant recognition for his role as Robert Minoru in Marvel's series "Runaways." His stage career is marked by originating key roles in notable productions both on and off Broadway, including Sarah Ruhl's "The Oldest Boy," Richard Greenberg's "Take Me Out," which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2003, "A Naked Girl on the Appian Way," and Julia Cho's "Durango." He has also participated in world premieres of adaptations of literary works, portraying Yunioshi in Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" on Broadway and Toru in Haruki Murakami's "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" at prestigious festivals such as the Edinburgh International Festival and the Singapore Arts Festival.

In addition to acting, James has directed several stage productions, including "My Friend Has Come" for the Asian American Writers Workshop and "Dancing with the Bird" at the Japan Society in New York. His foray into filmmaking began in 2011 with "Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty," which secured the Best Feature award at the Northside Festival.

A passionate advocate for the arts, James founded "SHINSAI: Theaters for Japan," a benefit event that took place on March 11, 2012, to support recovery efforts following Japan's disasters. He collaborates often with Japanese artists, translating acclaimed contemporary plays and subtitling major films. Additionally, James holds black belts in both j