He was born in Takanawa, Tokyo as the first son of Keinosuke (later Kiyoshi), a former shogunal retainer who worked for the British Legation after the Meiji Restoration.
元徳川幕府御家人で維新後にイギリス公使館に勤めていた敬之助（後に純（きよし））の長男として東京高輪に生まれる。