Born into a farming family in Kamihirayanagi village in Hitachi (Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki) (birth year debated).
Around this time the shogunate official Murakami Shimanojō, working on a project near his village, spotted his talent and took him on.
Following Murakami he crossed to Ezo (Hokkaido) and began survey and exploration work.
In Ezo he met Inō Tadataka and learned surveying techniques from him.
On Etorofu he was caught in a Russian naval raid, which impressed on him the importance of northern defence.
On shogunate orders he explored Karafuto (Sakhalin) with Matsuda Denjūrō.
Returning to Karafuto, he pushed north and crossed to the lower Amur on the mainland, confirming that Karafuto is an island separate from the continent. The strait is called the Mamiya Strait.
He compiled his findings in works such as Tōdatsu Chihō Kikō and submitted them to the shogunate.
Around this time he continued surveying Ezo, and his data contributed to the Inō maps.
Siebold's attempt to take Japanese maps abroad came to light, reportedly partly through Rinzō's report. He is later said to have worked as a covert shogunate investigator.
He died in Edo.
Inō TadatakaPhilipp Franz von SieboldMogami Tokunai
Takadaya KaheiSatō IssaiHirata AtsutaneZusho HirosatoRai San'yōHirose TansoAizawa SeishisaiNinomiya Sontoku
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.