About

My name is Mattias van Ommen. I am a cultural anthropologist specializing in ethnographic research on Japanese digital culture, particularly video games. Currently, I am assistant professor in the department of sociology at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan.

Latest Publications

Chapter 9: Convergence and Cosmopolitanism in Online Games: non-Japanese players on Japanese Final Fantasy XIV servers

Mattias van Ommen

, pp. 123-138, Rachael Hutchinson (ed.), The Handbook of Japanese Games and Gameplay, Tokyo: Japan Documents Press; Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2025

Public Appearances

Rituals of Empathy: Emotional Expression, Ludic Action, and Social Belonging in Japanese Online Games

Mattias van Ommen

JAWS-AJJ joint conference at the University of Hyogo, 2025 Apr 5