Jolyon Thomas, an associate professor of religious studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, was recently appointed to the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC), with a joint appointment to the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON).

Dr. Thomas researches religion in Japan and the U.S. His books include Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime, and Religion in Contemporary Japan and Faking Liberties: Religious Freedom in American-Occupied Japan.

Established in 1975, JUSFC is a federal agency that supports cultural and educational aspects of the U.S.-Japan alliance by awarding institutional grants in support of Japan studies in the U.S. The commission also supports American studies in Japan, bilateral artist exchanges, policy dialogues, legislative exchanges, and student mobility.

Created in 1961, CULCON is a U.S.-Japan advisory committee that meets biannually in alternating years between Japan and the U.S. The U.S. CULCON is a high-level, proactive organization that emphasizes the implementation of recommendations, and creates important interventions in U.S.-Japan educational and cultural exchange.