Heizaemon Ito of the 9th generation. Born in Nagoya, Aichi, into the family of a sakujikata, master carpenter, serving the Owari Clan. He received training in woodwork under his father and engaged in the construction of the kondo, main hall of the temple, at Koyasan at age 18. After the Meiji Restoration, he studied Western style architecture and toured ancient temples in Qing, incorporating the ideas he acquired from them into Japan's traditional styles and techniques of architecture. He received awards when he exhibited in the Naikoku-Kangyo Exposition, Paris International Exposition, and others. He worked on many buildings during his life. His representative works in Western style architecture are the former Mitsuke School (Shizuoka Prefecture) and the former prefectural offices of Aichi and Mie; examples of his religious buildings are Higashi-Honganji Temple's Mikagedo Hall and the former Tsukiji Honganji Temple. In 1896, he was appointed teishitsu gigeiin (Imperial artist).