He graduated from Waseda University in 1913. He began his business career with land development projects in Karuizawa and Hakone and expanded into toll roads and railways. By acquiring the former Seibu Railway and merging it with Musashino Railway, in which he was already involved, he laid the foundation for the present-day Seibu Railway. After WWII, he was engaged in fierce competition with Goto Keita’s Tokyu group in what came to be known as the Mt. Hakone War, a rivalry over the development of the tourist regions of Hakone and Izu. He was elected a member of the House of Representatives in 1924. He was purged from public office from 1946 to 1951, but after being rehabilitated, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives in 1952, and he served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1953 to 1954.