He was born as one of the two brothers, and as the second son of Tsuku Oshimaya who operated a bathhouse called Tsuku Oshimaya in Gorocho of the Kyobashi district in Edo (some mentions that the family was the landlord of a building located at 7-chome in Sanjikkenbori of the same district).
江戸京橋五郎兵衛町の湯屋（一説には江戸京橋三十間堀七丁目の家主）大島屋九十の二人兄弟の次男として生まれる。