Born in Otaru, Hokkaido. Studied at Kuwasawa Design School before dropping out. After working at various advertising agencies, he established his own design studio. He still works as art director, designer, and bookbinder for various projects.
Most of his works are concerned with yokai, creatures from Japanese folklore; he describes himself as a yokai researcher. This preference was strongly influenced by Shigeru Mizuki, who is an eminent yokai specialist. Kyogoku participates in Mizuki's World Yokai Association and is a member of the Kanto Mizuki Association and the Research Institute of Mysterious and Marvelous East Asian phenomena.
