He was born in Nouso, Nishinoomote City, Tanegashima Island in 1818 as the fourth son of Nakazaemon KAWAGUCHI who was a retainer of the Satsuma clan and his family had been successively serving as Umamawari-yaku (body guard) of the residence of the Satsuma clan in Edo (Tokyo).
江戸居付馬廻役として代々江戸藩邸に詰める薩摩藩士川口仲左衛門の四男として文政元年（1818年）に種子島西之表市納曾（のうそ）に生まれた。