Born in 1942 in Tokyo. His father gave him basic instruction in playing the violin and he continued his lessons under the guidance of Ryosaku Kubota, Eijin Tanaka, and Tatsuo Uzuka.

In 1959 he won the first place for violin in the senior high school division of the Student Music Concours of Japan. Admitted to Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1961, his tutors were Uzuka and H. Holst. He completed the Graduate School of the University in 1967. Receiving a scholarship from the Government of West Germany, he studied at Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, improving his violin skill under the guidance of W. Hanke and E. Hauptmann.

He won the first place in the string quartet division of the International Mendelssohn Competition held in Berlin in 1970. The Ysaÿe Foundation in Brussels awarded Ysaÿe Medal to the violin duo with Yoshiko Hattori.

Succeeding in the state examination and soloist test given by Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg with honors in 1971, he performed as first concertmaster for the Orchester der Beethoven halle Bonn for 13 years from 1971, in addition to leading the Bonn Quartet. The German Government conferred a Cross Order upon him for his cultural service in 1984, after which he returned to Japan to become the first concertmaster of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. On the other hand, he has been performing dynamically and versatilely as a violin soloist as well as a chamber musician.

Currently, he heads the "Kiyoshi OKAYAMA String Quartets". He is also the music director of the Risonare Music Festival, and the Risonare Chamber Music Seminar.

He is Professor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts, as well as Music Visiting Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna.