Kenji – Photographer & Visual Storyteller

Kenji is a Tokyo-born photographer whose visual language transcends borders. With a unique background shaped by formative years in Jakarta, London, and Tokyo, Kenji brings a rare global sensitivity to his work. Based between Tokyo and Singapore, he specializes in portrait, fashion, lifestyle, and beauty photography—infusing each frame with authenticity and cultural nuance.

From an early age, Kenji developed a profound fascination with the human experience—especially how emotion, presence, and story can be captured through the lens. Among all genres, portrait photography remains closest to his heart. He is deeply passionate about understanding his subjects on a personal level, seeking to reveal their inner beauty, quiet strength, and emotional depth. For Kenji, portraiture is not merely about capturing appearance—it is about connecting, listening, and allowing the subject’s true self to surface through trust and intuition.

About Kenji

This approach extends beyond human subjects. Whether photographing people, places, or objects, Kenji has a remarkable ability to elevate each moment into something cinematic. Every frame becomes a scene—evocative, dramatic, and resonant—like a still from a film that hints at a larger narrative. His ability to find story and soul in any environment makes his visual work both emotionally powerful and timeless.

After studying photography at Nihon University College of Art, Kenji trained under acclaimed fashion photographer Takao Shioguchi. By his third year, he launched his own career, quickly gaining recognition as a rising star in Japanese fashion media. His early assignments with major publishers such as Kodansha, Shogakukan, and Shueisha led to cover shoots and editorial features that defined a new aesthetic standard.

At the age of 27, Kenji spent six months in Paris, immersing himself in the European fashion industry. This experience sparked a deeper commitment to blending Japanese artistry with international sensibilities. Upon returning to Japan, he began contributing to high-profile publications such as ELLE Japon, Figaro, Vogue, and GQ.

In 2007, Kenji became an early adopter of RED Digital Cinema’s revolutionary 4K RAW-format camera technology, long before its widespread adoption in Japan. This positioned him at the forefront of the digital cinematography movement, enabling him to pivot seamlessly from still photography to high-end commercial filmmaking. His hybrid expertise soon led to extensive work in advertising—particularly with a leading advertising agency—where he established a niche as a creative who could handle both motion and stills with equal finesse.

Today, Kenji leads a compact yet powerful creative unit equipped with 8K and 6K digital cinema cameras. His team handles everything in-house—from shooting and data management to editing, color grading, and visual effects. This vertical integration allows for agile production pipelines and international mobility, making him a trusted partner for overseas shoots and cross-border campaigns.

Beyond photography, Kenji is often involved from the conceptual phase of projects—collaborating on pitches, directing, casting, budget planning, and delivering full-package productions. Despite operating at a boutique scale, he offers end-to-end production capabilities that rival major studios in efficiency and vision.

Whether capturing a quiet moment on a Tokyo street or directing a full-scale campaign in Southeast Asia, Kenji brings a storyteller’s eye, a technician’s precision, and a traveler’s soul to every project. His work continues to inspire and move, reminding us of the beauty and narrative potential found in every subject—human or otherwise.