[1] He was born in Ōmi province, the fifth son of Kaihō Tsunachika, who was a vassal of Azai Nagamasa.

Born into a military family, he became a page at the Tōfuku-ji (temple) when he moved to Kyōto[1] and, later a lay priest.

Artistically on a level with Hasegawa Tōhaku and Kanō Eitoku, he gave his name Kaihō to the style of painting he and his followers practiced.

[3] He acquired fame during his lifetime and his patrons included Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the emperor Go-Yōzei.

[1] As of the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition of 1975, most of the artist's extant works were ink paintings produced during his late sixties for the Zen temple Kennin-ji in Kyoto.