Born in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. 1972, established the Ito Atelier with ITO Chika in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture. 1997, began teaching at Joshibi University of Art and Design in both the undergraduate and graduate programs (retired at the end of his tenure in 1999). 2002, became a professor at Kanazawa College of Art Graduate School (retired at the end of his tenure in 2009 and and now an honorary visiting professor).
1978, won the Gold Medal representing Japan at the Triennale-India. 1984, represented Japan at the Venice Biennale. 1985, organized the outdoor exhibition "'85 Hinuma·Spectacle of Land" (at Hinuma lakeside). This exhibition is considered a root of today's major outdoor art festivals such as the Setouchi International Art Festival and Echigo-Tsumari Art Field. 2002, had a solo exhibition, "Virus - Earth Folds, Sea Folds", at Tate St Ives. 2009, "Ito Kosho WORKS 1974-2009" was held at the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. 2016, participated in "KENPOKU ART 2016 Ibaraki Northern Art Festival". Unveiled polyhedral installations in the gardens of the historical Hozumi family residence. 2018, participated in "Art Festival of Water and Land 2018" in Niigata Prefecture with "Surface Folds the space between eros and thanatos", an installation in the main venue. Today, ITO remains active at his atelier in Kasama.