Being a vassal of Tadayoshi MATSUDAIRA, the seigneur of the Kiyosu Clan, and a pupil of ISHIDO Chikurinbo Josei, the leader of Chikurin sect of Heki school (one of schools of Kyujutsu), Heibei shot 51 arrows out of 100 through the hallway of Kyoto Sanjusangen-do Hall on January 19, 1606, thereby gaining fame as Tenka-ichi (number one under the sun).
平兵衛は清洲藩主松平忠吉の家臣で日置流竹林派（ちくりんは）の石堂竹林坊如成の弟子であり、この年の1月19日、京都三十三間堂で100本中51本を射通し天下一の名を博した。