Events

Time and Location

November 20-22
Japan Society (New York, NY)

About

We are honored to co-present with Japan Society a special weekend of talks and screenings with trailblazing anime visionaries Shinichiro Watanabe (creator of Adult Swim’s recent hit Lazarus as well as legendary titles including Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo) Justin Leach (producer of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Visions and Netflix’s Leviathan) and LeSean Thomas (creator of Netflix’s Yasuke).

First launched in 2024 with focus on trailblazing creator LeSean Thomas, the Foreign Exchange series returns in an expanded format for a week of rare events spotlighting U.S. and Japanese creators blending borders. The series aims to elevate the pioneering creatives broadening global anime production and offer students, professionals and animation fans a chance to hear unique creator-to-creator conversations about the inspiration, collaboration and business behind popular anime.

LeSean Thomas will be the emcee as well as joined onstage by Shinichiro Watanabe and Justin Leach. For the full lineup of the events and information, please visit: Foreign Exchange: Cross-Cultural Conversations with Anime Visionaries — Japan Society

Biographies

Shinichiro Watanabe—Creator, Lazarus & Cowboy Bebop

Born in 1965 in Kyoto, Japan, Shinichiro Watanabe is an anime director, screenwriter and music producer. He made his directorial debut as co-director of Macross Plus and has since directed numerous series titles such as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, Space Dandy, Terror in Resonance and Carole & Tuesday as well as shorts for The Animatrix – Kid’s Story, A Detective Story and Blade Runner – Black Out 2022. His latest series is Adult Swim’s Lazarus.

Justin Leach—Producer, Star Wars: Visions & Leviathan

Justin Leach is the founder of Qubic Pictures, a Tokyo-New York-based studio. With over 25 years in animation across the U.S. and Japan, he’s worked at Blue Sky Studios, Production I.G and Lucasfilm. He produced the first crowdfunded anime Kick-Heart, Under the Dog and Adventure Time: Food Chain. His recent works include Netflix’s Eden and Leviathan. Justin now serves as Co-Executive Producer on Star Wars: Visions, bringing new voices to the Star Wars galaxy through the groundbreaking anime.

LeSean Thomas—Creator, Yasuke & Cannon Busters

Bronx-born LeSean Thomas is among the distinguished few Black Americans making their mark in the TV anime industry and is currently the only Black American to successfully create, produce and direct original TV anime series in Japan. His journey began with notable projects such as The Boondocks, Black Dynamite: The Animated Series and The Legend of Korra. These foundational experiences paved the way for his move to Japan, where he created and directed works such as Crunchyroll’s Children of Ether and Netflix’s Cannon Busters. LeSean’s most recent triumph is the critically-acclaimed and NAACP Image Award-nominated Netflix series Yasuke. Building on his cross-cultural career, Thomas founded, curates and hosts Foreign Exchange, a platform for dialogue between U.S. and Japanese anime creators.

This event is co-presented by the Japan Foundation, New York and Japan Society.