Born in Osaka, Japan, Kanamé Onoyama graduated from the Keio University in Tokyo with a degree in French literature. Upon moving to France in 2004, he studied cinematography at the ESRA school of cinema in Paris, and trained for several years as a camera assistant on both commercials and narrative projects. Since becoming a cinematographer, he has shot a mix of feature films, documentaries, commercials, music videos, and artistic videos.