The kind old "Emo-chan" of contemporary Japanese cinema. Emo's father was a close friend of the legendary bit-part actor Taji Tonoyama in elementary school. His mother's grandfather ran a shamisen shop in Ginza, Tokyo. Both parents loved film and theater. After graduating from the mechanical department of Tokyo Industrial High School, Emoto joined a trading company. However, he became an actor and enrolled in the acting classes of the theater company "Marui," led by Nobuo Kaneko, and met Yusaku Matsuda, who was studying in the same class.

In 1999 he received the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film "Doctor Akagi." He also received the Best Supporting Actor award at the 7th Hochi Film Awards for the films "Dotonbori River" and "Flowers and Hearts for Tora-san."