Hideo Kojima is born in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. His family later moved to Osaka when he was young.

Kojima develops a strong interest in filmmaking and writing, fuelled by his parents' encouragement. He frequently creates short films with his friends and writes stories. He is heavily influenced by science fiction films and novels.

Kojima continues to explore his passion for art. He initially aspires to be a filmmaker, attempting to create films with limited resources. He also writes short stories and novels, further honing his narrative skills.

Kojima attends university, where he studies economics. However, he remains deeply involved in creative pursuits, spending much of his time working on independent film projects rather than focusing on his formal studies.

Despite his parents' initial reservations about his career choice, Kojima joins Konami, a Japanese video game company, as a game planner. This marks the beginning of his professional journey in the video game industry.