Hougetsu was born in Oguni-mura Village (today Hamada City) in Shimane Prefecture, as the first son of Ippei SASAYAMA and adopted by Bunko SHIMAMURA who was a public prosecutor at the court in Hamada-cho.
島根県小国村（現浜田市）に佐々山一平の長男として生まれ、浜田町裁判所検事島村文耕の養子となる。