He was born in Yasu, Omi Province (present Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture) but his family moved to Kyoto as his father Yasuharu was serving Suminokura family, a wealthy merchant in Saga (Kyoto City), and working as Unso (a work that carries freights on a ship).
近江国野洲（現滋賀県野洲市）に生まれたが、父安治が嵯峨(京都市)の豪商角倉家に仕え運漕（船で貨物を運ぶ仕事）をしており、一家で京都に移り住んだ。