Born in Kyoto, Inoue Toyohisa graduated at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto in 1933. He studied with Tokuriki Tomikichirô, and already in 1933 he exhibited with the Kyoto Sôsaku-hangakai. In the 1930s he also exhibited extensively elsewhere, also in Europe and USA. After the war he resumed work and according to Helen Merritt he was still active in 1985.