[1] Born in Tokyo, the eldest son in a family of picture framers, Yamashita Shintarō's schooling included English and Classical Chinese.

He went on to study under Fujishima Takeji and Kuroda Seiki at Tokyo School of Fine Arts, graduating in 1904.

After learning French at the Tokyo School of Foreign Languages, in 1905 he travelled via America to France, where he studied with Raphaël Collin and Fernand Cormon and at the École des Beaux-Arts.

That same year, together with Ishii Hakutei (石井柏亭) and Arishima Ikuma, he founded the Nikakai (二科会) or "Society for Progressive Japanese Artists".

Two years later he contributed Poetry Party at the Imperial Palace to the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery.

While in Paris, he helped restore the Kanō school Namban byōbu known as "the Portuguese" at the Musée Guimet.