Photographer Ume Kayo was born on March 23, 1981, in Ishikawa Prefecture.
She began photography in high school and studied at the Japan College of Photography and Film in Osaka. After graduating, she relocated to Tokyo. She received honorable mentions in the Canon New Cosmos of Photography magazine in 2000 and 2001. In 2006, she was discovered by editor Kyoichi Tsuzuki and made her debut with the photo book "Umeme." The following year, she won the 32nd Kimura Ihei Photography Award for the same book, catapulting her to fame.
In 2007, she published "Boys," a photo book featuring elementary school boys in Osaka, and the following year, she released "Grandpa," a photo book documenting the daily life of her grandfather, Katsuji. Last year, she published her latest photo book, "Noto," featuring family and close friends from her hometown of Noto Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, and held her first solo museum exhibition at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery.

From March 15th, the photo exhibition "Ume Kayo Exhibition UMEKAYO" will be held in Niigata City. A total of 595 pieces are on display, including works related to her latest photo book, previous works, and unpublished works.