He was born Kanesaka Kan'ichi and took over his father's business making posters for kabuki theater. He became a kabuki and kyogen actor after auditioning for NHK. At the age of 70, between 1976 and 1995, he produced a dozen prints of kabuki actors in the style of Natori Shunsen and Ota Masamitsu, creating one print per year. The prints were published in a small series by Sekioka Senrei. He also produced several watercolors and paintings of kabuki actors in the 1970's.
