His family moved to Edamitsu, Yahata Village, Fukuoka Prefecture (present day Yahata-higashi Ward, Kitakyushu City) since his father closed their family business, a sake brewery, to work at the Yahata Iron Factory that was about to start operating.
父が家業の造り酒屋を畳み、操業間近な八幡製鉄所に職を求めたため、一家で福岡県八幡村（現・北九州市八幡東区）枝光に転居。