Koji Yamamura was born in Japan on June 4, 1964. He made his first animated film at just 13 years old. Between 1983 and 1987, he studied painting at Tokyo Zokei University while simultaneously working as an art assistant and doing special effects modeling for major film productions. During these formative years, he absorbed influences from international animation—particularly the work of Canadian animator Ishu Patel, Russian director Yury Norshtein, and Estonian filmmaker Priit Pärn.

After graduating, Yamamura worked as an animation background artist at Mukuo Studio before going freelance in 1989. In 1993, he founded Yamamura Animation, Inc. alongside his wife Sanae. By 2002, he'd signed with Acme Filmworks as an animation director and was already establishing himself as a major creative force.

His breakthrough came with Mt. Head (2002), which earned an Oscar nomination in 2003 and went on to win the Grand Prix at major festivals including Annecy, Zagreb, and Hiroshima. He followed this with Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor (2007), which took the Grand Prix at the Ottawa International Film Festival. What's remarkable is that Yamamura became the first artist to win Grand Prix awards across all the major international animation film festivals. His films employ a striking range of techniques and have been shown in over 30 countries, earning numerous awards along the way.

Beyond directing, Yamamura has served as a jury member, lecturer, and workshop facilitator at international festivals, championing animation as an art form. He's also worked as an illustrator with several published picture books. His exhibition "Yamamura Animation Museum" premiered at Aichi Expo '05, with retrospectives of his work subsequently screened in over 20 countries at venues like the Melbourne International Film Festival and the National Film Theater in London.

Professionally, he's been a visiting professor at Tokyo Zokei University since 2004 and a professor in the Department of Animation at Tokyo University of the Arts' Graduate School of Film and New Media since 2008. He also serves as sub-chairman of the Japan Animation Association and sits on the board of the Japanese branch of ASIFA.