Born in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Kanai was introduced to acting when he was 18 years old. A renowned director named Nobuhiko Obayashi came to his hometown to film a movie, and Kanai was fortunate enough to get cast in it. 

At the age of 20, Kanai attended the acting school "United Performers' Studio" in Japan, where he learned method acting for two years. Since his debut in the film "Lenses on Her Heart" at the age of 25, he has been active in multiple fields such as films, TV shows, stages, commercials, and music videos. 

Kanai's first international project was the FX TV series SHOGUN, and he has been working not only in the Japanese industry but also in the international industry after that.