KAI WATANABE

Born in Silicon Valley and raised in Sonoma County, California, Kai Watanabe discovered his love for photography at the age of six. In January 2020, he started sharing his work on Instagram, and his profile has since grown to over 50,000 followers.

His interest in videography began in middle school through school projects and personal experimentation. By 2021, he started posting reels, and his passion soon evolved into filmmaking, now the core of his creative career.

In the summer of 2021, Kai relocated to Ehime Prefecture, Japan, for family reasons. After six months of part-time work, he moved to Kyoto to pursue studies in UI/UX design at a local college. Feeling limited by the program after half a year, he decided to leave and fully dedicate himself to freelance work.

Kai has been drawn to art and music since childhood, always finding joy in making things. That passion has stayed with him, growing and evolving over the years. Now working as a freelance creator, he is committed to creative expression and constantly seeks new ways to grow as a storyteller.

Kai is also the founder of MIYABI STUDIO, a creative production team currently in preparation. The name ‘miyabi’ (雅), referring to elegance or refinement in Japanese, reflects the team’s philosophy and is drawn from Kai’s own name, ‘雅海.’ MIYABI STUDIO is dedicated to producing elegant, story-driven content that bridges cultures through cinematic storytelling.