Koji Hatakeyama was born in 1956 in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, a region northwest of Tokyo which has been a centre for bronze, copper and lacquerware production since the early 1600s.
Hatakeyama studied metalwork at the Kanazawa College of Arts and Crafts in 1980 and since then he has concentrated his practice primarily in the creation of patinated, cast bronze boxes with gold or silver interiors. He creates enigmatic, patinated surfaces which represent the landscape, evoking a sense of time. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in numerous museum collections worldwide.