Graduated from the Department of Japanese Law of Tokyo Senmon Gakko (later the Waseda University) in 1888. He worked as a news journalist in his native land to become a lawyer later. He became a Christian and was instrumental in banning drinking and abolishing licensed prostitution. He started a movement demanding the implementation of universal suffrage elections together with Tahachiro Nakamura and was imprisoned in 1897. He joined the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper company in 1899 and was focused on writing on the abolishment of licensed prostitution, pollution problems associated with the Ashio Copper Mine, and corruption of politicians and bureaucrats. He was one of the founders together with Sen Katayama and Shusui Kotoku of Shakai Minshu-to (Socialist Democratic Party) in 1901. He serialized the antiwar novel "Hi no Hashira" followed by the "Otto no Jihaku" in 1904. He launched the "Shin Kigen" together with Sanshiro Ishikawa in 1905. In the wake of the death of his mother in 1906, he withdrew from the socialist movement and was focused entirely on writing activities. He became a disciple of Torajiro Okada who preached Seiza-ho in 1910 and spent the rest of his life seeking spiritual attainment.