Toho Gakuen School of Music
Born into a musical family, he studied piano at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, but was fascinated by the conducting activities of a fellow student, Seiji Ozawa. He decided to study conducting with Hideo Saito. In 1974, Akiyama made his debut with the Tokyo Symphony, and within two months, he was named the orchestra's Music Director and Permanent Conductor.