bˈɔːɹn ɪn ɐsˈækjuːsə, tˈoʊkɪˌoʊ, jæmˈɑːdə ɐtˈɛndᵻd wˈeɪsdə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi bᵻfˌoːɹ ˈɛntɚɹɪŋ ðə ʃˈɑːtʃɪkˌuː fˈɪlm stˈuːdɪˌoʊz, wˌɛɹ hiː tɹˈeɪnd æz ɐn ɐsˈɪstənt dᵻɹˈɛktɚɹ ˌʌndɚ kˈeɪsuːk kˌɪnəʃˈiːɾə.
Born in Asakusa, Tokyo, Yamada attended Waseda University before entering the Shōchiku film studios, where he trained as an assistant director under Keisuke Kinoshita.