Koji Aoki was born in Japan, but in his early 20s went to Switzerland to study philosophy and religion. While in Switzerland, he obtained a ski instructor's license and for five years he worked as a professional ski instructor, both there and in Japan. Aoki began working as a photographer in 1976. With his linguistic ability, he frequently shot overseas. He began his photography career as a commercial photographer, before switching to focus on editorial assignments for ski and golf magazines. By 1990 Aoki was shooting both editorial and commercial photography. He made use of his global experiences in seeking new imagery with an international perspective. He has a long track record in shooting both summer and winter Olympic Games, including the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan, where he was leader of the official photo team. Aoki has been extensively awarded for his photography, and is president and chief photographer of the Aflo sports-stock and production companies. He has been responsible for a number of exhibitions and photo books, on numerous occasions producing the official show and publication for the Japanese Olympic Committee.
