Born in 1918, Yoshinobu Ashihara graduated from the University of Tokyo an subsequently attended the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University as a Garioa-Fullbright student, earning his degree as a Master in Architecture in 1953. His doctorate in Architecture was earned at the University of Tokyo in 1962. He established his own architecture firm in 1956 and designed various well-known buildings in Japan, including the Musashino Art University, Japan's Olympic Gymnasium and Control Tower and the National Museum of Japanese History.