Akimi Ota was born and grew up in Tokyo, Japan. He lived in different countries throughout his life, including the Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Ecuador and Peru, which made him polyglot as well as granted him an ability to move between radically different cultures and merge into local lives. After studying cross-cultural studies, an interdisciplinary programme in Kobe University which allowed him to study contemporary philosophy, art theories and cultural studies, he moved to Paris and acquired his master's degree in social anthropology from the EHESS. His filmmaking career started with his PhD project in visual anthropology at the University of Manchester. He stayed in the Amazonian rainforest with indigenous people called Shuar, and enquire about their knowledge of medicinal plants, everyday life and struggles. In 2020, he made his debut feature-length film "Kanarta" based on this experience.