Born in 1953, ITO earned his B.A. and M.A. in Art History from the University of Tokyo. His contributions as a critic go beyond his specialties, art history and the history of photography, to bring a perspective combining art, science, and technology to bear on a wide range of fields. ITO also plans and curates exhibitions such as the Moving Sacred Place - Telepresence World exhibition held at the ICC in 1998 and is on the faculty of Tama Art University.