He was born as the first son of Sekimon SAKURAI, a jukan (an official under Confucianism) of the Izushi Domain, at the Igi district of Izushi town (present Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture).
出石藩の儒官・桜井石門の長男として出石町伊木（現兵庫県豊岡市）に生まれた。