 Rambai muchinyora ndima iyi - Takahashi akaberekerwa mumhuri ye samurai-class mumusha weEdo weSano Domain, han yechikamu cheSakura Domain, uko baba vake vaive muchengeti wemhuri yeHotta. Aifarira unyanzvi kubva pauduku, akawana dzidzo pachikoro cheKanō, asi gare gare akafadzwa nehunyanzvi hwekuMadokero kuburikidza nemabhuku akave achiwanikwa muJapan munguva yeBakumatsu. Muna 1862, akawana nzvimbo mudhipatimendi rezvemifananidzo re Bansho Shirabesho, sangano rekutsvagisa reTokugawa shogunate mukudzidza kwekumadokero, kwaakadzidza pasi paKawakami Togai, uye kwaakatanga kuyedza kupenda kwemafuta. Muna 1866, akaenda kuYokohama kunodzidza nemunyori weChirungu uye munyori wemifananidzo Charles Wirgman, uyo akafadzwa kwazvo netarenda rake zvekuti akamutsigira kuti atore chikamu muParis World Exhibitionra1867. 