Pastor and educator. He was baptized while a student, as part of the group known as the Kumamoto Band. After graduating from Doshisha University in 1879, he served as a pastor at churches in Annaka, Maebashi, Kobe and Hongo. In 1920 he became president of Doshisha University. He publicly argued with Uemura Masahisa about Christology, and his works influenced other Meiji-era thinkers including Yoshino Sakuzo.