Akutagawa studied composition with Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kan'ichi Shimofusa and Akira Ifukube at the Tokyo Music School.

In 1954, when Japan did not have diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union yet, Akutagawa entered the Soviet Union illegally, and made friends with Dmitri Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturian and Dmitri Kabalevsky.

Akutagawa was the only Japanese composer whose works were officially published in the Soviet Union at that time.

Akutagawa's compositions were influenced by Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Akira Ifukube.

His film scores include works for directors like Kon Ichikawa, Heinosuke Gosho, Tomu Uchida and Tadashi Imai.