Tokitaka was born in 1528, the son of Tanegashima Satotoki (種子島恵時), a retainer of daimyō Shimazu Takahisa.

[1] In 1543, a ship transporting Portuguese sailors, accompanied by a man named Wufeng, arrived near Tanegashima island.

The Europeans were brought to Tokitaka, who was only 15 years old, and demonstrated in front of him the use of arquebus firearms.

[2] Lord Tanegashima Tokitaka instructed his swordsmith, Yaita Kinbei Kiyosada (八板金兵衛清定), to create functional replicas of the objects, the first ever Japanese-made.

[4] Tanegashima Tokitaka, quickly acquired the methods of producing firearms and gunpowder.