Lukas Mattice was born and raised in Hilo, Hawai'i. He has a BA in religion from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa where he focused on religious traditions in modern East Asia.
He currently resides in Tokyo, Japan pursuing a master's degree in international relations at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University under the guidance of Professor Hatsue Shinohara. Mattice's research interests include globalization, human rights, international law, and organizations and development. His thesis research focuses on Japan's policies toward the containment of transnational organized crime and criminal organizations.