Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1956, Kiyoshi graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Toyama University. At the age of 28, he moved to the United States, where he spent the next 22 years building a unique career as both a sushi chef and a painter. His artistic journey truly began during a stay in San Francisco; deeply inspired by artwork he encountered in Berkeley, he started painting in Hawaii.

His talent was soon recognized by the prestigious Manoa Gallery—a hub famous for launching the careers of prominent Hawaiian artists—leading to several successful exhibitions. Kiyoshi became a hot topic in Hawaii when he decorated a restaurant on the ground floor of the luxury Uraku Tower condominium with over 100 of his iconic, hand-painted umbrellas ("Kiyoshi’s umbrellas") suspended from the ceiling.

Kiyoshi’s art has also been central to international peace and youth initiatives. In 1999, at the Children’s Millennium Summit in Hawaii, he created a massive mural featuring the signatures of 1,000 children from around the globe. The piece was proudly displayed at the Hawaii State Capitol before traveling to Morocco. The following year, in 2000, he engaged in a live-painting collaboration with 300 children for UNESCO's "One Day Peace" program. His creative reach extended into fashion in 2006 with the release of the "Kiyoshi Collection" by the renowned resort wear brand Jams World.

Upon returning to Japan, Kiyoshi dedicated himself to working at the Kanazawa Maimon Sushi Head Office. Following a 15-year hiatus from the canvas, he picked up his brush once again. In May 2025, he made his artistic comeback with the Kiyoshi World exhibition, Small Treasure: "The World is Sparkling," at Manabi-no-Mori Nonoichi Kaleido. This was followed by his July 2026 exhibition, Kiyoshi World 2026: "The Sky Connects Us."