Pioneer. Born on Izu Hachijojima Island, a son of a local magistrate. In 1856, he moved to Edo. In 1862, on board the Shogunate warship Choyo Maru, he sailed over to the Ogasawara (Bonin) Archipelago. After the Meiji Restoration, he became the first pioneer of the island, earning enormous wealth based on the gathering of albatross feathers and guano on Torishima Island. He invested his money into public enterprises such as port building, road construction and cultivation of specialties. Throughout his life, he was involved in the development of the islands of Ogasawara, Torishima, and Minami Daitojima.