He was born as second son of Narimune NAGANO, a goshi (country samurai) in Aza-kashinoura, Wakimoto-mura, Izumi-go, Izumi County, Satsuma Province (present-day Wakimoto, Akune City) in 1832.
1832年、薩摩国出水郡出水郷脇本村字槝之浦（現・阿久根市脇本）の郷士長野成宗の次男として生まれる。