Born in Tokyo in 1960, Yuma Matsukawa graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan University and worked as a magazine editor before becoming a freelance journalist. In 1986, they became a film reviewer, contributing to magazines, TV, and radio. In 1995, they began lecturing at vocational schools and universities. In 2010, they entered graduate school at Meiji Gakuin University. In 2012, they received their M.A. degree with a thesis on documentary film and published their works in 2004 and 2008.