Nagatani was born on August 19, 1945, in Chicago, just ten days after the atomic blast on Nagasaki.

A Sansei, he was the eldest son of John Shuzo and Diane Yoshiye Nagatani.

In 1955, the Nagatanis moved to Los Angeles, where they settled in the Crenshaw District, which at one time had the largest concentration of Japanese-Americans in the country.

[1] It wasn't until he started college at Cal State L.A. that he discovered his passion for the arts.

As an artist, Nagatani's works have been exhibited internationally and have been featured in numerous publications and films.