He studied mathematics at Hollywood High School and obtained a degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Despite financial assistance from Nishi Honganji and Shibusawa Eiichi, the publication ran out of funds and closed after four years.

[4] The company was successful, primarily due to army contracts and later as a result of the Japanese economic miracle, and eventually diversified into a variety of precision measuring instruments.

In 1965, Numata founded the Society for the Promotion of Buddhism (Ja: Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, generally known in English by its initials BDK), with a mission of distributing Buddhist teachings around the world.

In 1986 Numata initiated a project to translate the entire Taishō Tripiṭaka into English,[6] an endeavor which is expected to require as long as a century to complete.