He was born on February 3, 1850 as the second son of Tasuke SHIRANE, who was a feudal retainer of Choshu Domain and who later became the governor of Saitama Prefecture.
嘉永2年12月22日（1850年2月3日）、長州藩士で後の埼玉県令、白根太助の次男に生まれる。