He was born as the oldest son of his mother Kamejo and father Tobe Kazutoshi NOJIRI, who was a ronin (a masterless samurai) living in Kyoto Inari (the present Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture).
京都稲荷（現・京都府京都市下京区）の浪人であった父・野尻藤兵衛一利と母・亀女の6人兄弟の長男として生まれる。