Akira Otani, born in Honolulu, Hawai'i in 1921, grew up in a predominantly Japanese neighborhood with a strong fishing industry presence. His father ran a fish stall and wholesale business, while his mother worked in the fish and pineapple canneries. Otani's father had little involvement at home due to his work schedule, and Otani and his siblings had to take care of themselves. He attended Pohukaina School, a Japanese-language school with strict discipline, and later pursued a college preparatory program at Washington Intermediate School and McKinley High School.