[1] He was educated at the Kaitokudō academy founded by members of the mercantile class of Osaka, but was ostracised shortly after the age of 15.
[2] The surviving works are his Okina no Fumi ("The Writings of an Old Man"),[3] Shutsujō Gogo ("Words after Enlightenment"; on textual criticism of Buddhist sutras), and three other works on ancient musical scales, ancient measurements, and poetry.
He took a deep critical stance against normative systems of thought, partially based on the Kaitokudō's emphasis on objectivity, but was clearly heterodox in eschewing the dominant philosophies of the institution.
His work represents an early and indigenous example of Buddhist studies and reflects awareness of Manichaeism and its possible relationship with Buddhism.
[7] While Michael Pye has argued that Tominaga represents a non-European example of religious studies,[8] this view has been challenged by Jason Josephson, who argues that Tominaga does not treat non-Buddhist traditions as systematic religions.