Moronobu was born into the family whose business was to decorate textiles with embroideries and impressed metal foils, in Hongo, Hota, Hei County, Awa Province (present Kyonan-machi, Chiba Prefecture).
師宣は安房国平郡保田本郷（現・千葉県鋸南町）で暮らす縫箔師の家に生まれた。