Born to the family of Shake (Shinto priests) at Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto, he moved to Tokyo in 1904 and won the first prize for his 1,000-character classic calligraphy at the Japanese Art Exhibition. After that, he began learning seal engraving and in 1915, he devoted himself to ceramics. In 1919, he became an antique art dealer, in 1921 he started a members-only gourmet club, and in 1925 he operated Hoshigaoka Saryo in Akasaka, indulging in an aesthetic lifestyle. He built Hoshigaoka Kiln in Kamakura in 1927 and began making pottery.