Paul Snowden studied Modern and Medieval Languages at King’s College, Cambridge. Apart from the first five years of his career, he has lived and worked in Japan as a university teacher and administrator, and author or editor of numerous dictionaries, textbooks, and other Japan- related works. He worked longest (30 years) at Waseda University, where he served two terms as Dean of the School of International Liberal Studies—the first foreign national to hold such a post at that university—and has been Emeritus Professor since 2014. His most recent post was Vice-President of Kyorin University. Having retired in 2020, he now acts as a director for the Japan campus of Lakeland University, Wisconsin.