Hiro was born in Sapporo, Japan and spent his childhood in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA. He returned to Japan at age 14 and attended International Christian University High School in Tokyo where he acted in his first student films and stage productions and studied classical guitar. He then returned to the U.S. and studied visual art at Middlebury College, the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. During this time he was also active in theater and performance art but was known more as a musician, composer, and writer. Since moving to Vancouver, BC, Canada in 1990, Hiro has become a well-respected actor in the city and has also established himself as a playwright and screenwriter.