He was born in Kyoto with the given name Usaburo. He graduated in 1899 from the Kyoto City School of Arts and Crafts. He was a highly regarded pupil of Nishiyama Suisho. He was honored as a member of the Imperial Art Academy and received the Order of Cultural merit in 1957 – one year before his death. He created both woodblock prints, illustrated books, and “harie-shikishi” paper collage artworks