Jason James

Jason James OBE (born 1965) is a British director and expert on United Kingdom/Japan relations.

Education James was educated at King's College School, Cambridge (1973–78) and Marlborough College (1978–82). James then studied at King's College, Cambridge (1983–87), where he was an academic and choral scholar, and received a 1st-class degree with distinction in Japanese Studies.

Career After his studies, James worked in the financial industry, specialising in Japanese equities. He became Head of Research in the HSBC Securities Tokyo office, and later Head of Global Equity Strategy at HSBC in London. In 1998, he was interviewed as head of equity research at James Capel (part of HSBC) in Tokyo. In 1999, he co-authored the book The Political Economy of Japanese Financial Markets: Myth versus Reality with Dick Beason, published by St. Martin's Press.

From 2007 to 2011, James was Director of the British Council in Tokyo, Japan. In 2025, he became Chair of the Joseph Levy Foundation Board of Trustees.

Recognition James was awarded an OBE in 2023 for services to United Kingdom/Japan relations.