hiː bɪɡˈæn hɪz lˈɪɾɚɹˌɛɹi kɚɹˈɪɹ æz ɐ stˈuːdənt ʌv tʃaɪnˈiːz mˈɪŋdˈaɪnɐsti ɹˈaɪɾɪŋz, ænd ɐdˈæptᵻd tɹɐdˈɪʃənəl tʃaɪnˈiːz kˈɑːmɪk vˈɜːs kˈɔːld kaɪˈoʊʃi ɪn dʒˌæpənˈiːz, ˌʌndɚ ðə mˈɛntoːɹʃˌɪp ʌv plˈeɪɹaɪt hɜːɹˈɑːɡə dʒˈɛnaɪ, tə dˈeɪli lˈaɪf ɪn ˈiːdoʊ.
He began his literary career as a student of Chinese Ming-dynasty writings, and adapted traditional Chinese comic verse (called kyōshi in Japanese), under the mentorship of playwright Hiraga Gennai, to daily life in Edo.