He was born in Kyoto as the son of a samurai doctor to Masakatsu Ishikawa, the lord of the Ise Kameyama domain (Mie Prefecture). His real surname was Taga, his first name was Yasuo, later Nobuka, and his character was Kimiuke. Recognized for his talent as a painter, Ichicho enrolled in Yasunobu Kano at the behest of the feudal lord, but it is said that he was later excommunicated. He used the painting name Taga Asako, but after being exiled to Miyakejima, Izu, he was allowed to return to Edo and changed his surname to Ei and his common name to Ichicho. He had many names, including Sanjin Karin, Suimyo, Rinboan, and Gyoundo, but after calling himself Ichicho, he used the name Kitamado.