He lost his sight in 1902, when he was 8 years old, and started his study in koto under the guidance of Nakajima Kengyo II, dedicating the rest of his life to the instrument.

In 1920, he took part in the Great Recital of the New Japanese Music with Seifu Yoshida and Nagayo Motoori.

He was reckoned as an authority in the new Japanese music, achieving notability in the early Shōwa period.

In 1925 he participated in one of the first radio presentations in Japan, and in 1929 he signed an exclusive contract with Victor Record Company, current JVC.

The Michio Miyagi Memorial Hall, Shinjuku City, Tokyo, was opened in 1978 on the site where he spent his last years.