Born in Nihonbashi, Edo, son of a fishmonger.
Around this time he studied in Kyoto under the Confucian scholar Itō Tōgai.
He wrote Bansho-kō, urging sweet-potato cultivation against famine; recommended by Ōoka Tadasuke, he won shogun Yoshimune's favour and was charged with trial plantings.
Trial plantings at Koishikawa and elsewhere succeeded, and sweet potatoes spread across Kantō; he was later called "Dr Sweet Potato".
He became a shogunate official in charge of books and surveyed old documents in many provinces.
On Yoshimune's orders he began learning Dutch with Noro Genjō, and later taught Maeno Ryōtaku.
He became the shogunate's commissioner of books.
He died in Edo.
Ōoka TadasukeMaeno RyōtakuTokugawa Yoshimune
Ōoka TadasukeTokugawa YoshimuneIshida BaiganKamo no MabuchiYosa BusonItō JakuchūTanuma OkitsuguMaeno Ryōtaku
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.