Katsumi Kaneko was born in Yokohama (Kanagawa), Japan. He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1969 from Yokohama National University (Applied Chemistry), Yokohama. He received a masters degree in physical chemistry at The University of Tokyo, in 1971. He received Doctor of Science in solid state chemistry in 1978 for submitted thesis from The University of Tokyo, entitled “Electrical Properties and Defect Structures of Iron Hydroxide Oxide'
Colloids”.