His given family name was Hajme. At 10 years of age, due to a family financial crisis, he had to begin work and fortunately for us it was at the Tokyo Printing Company where his interest in art, drawing and printing took hold. It was here he was introduced to Kaburagi Kiyokata (1878-1972), whose student he became (as did KASAMATSU Shiro) and who gave him his artist name "Shinsui".

His first print ("Before the Mirror"), was for Watanabe. When Goyo (Hashiguchi) left the Watanabe firm after doing one print there, Watanabe turned to Shinsui. (When you compare the lives of Shinsui, Goyo and Shiro the crossing of paths with fellow artists and others such as Watanabe and Kiyokata is of note). He worked for the Watanabe firm from 1916 until 1960. He has the distinction, along with Goyo, of being the earliest of the Shin-hanga artists.

Shinsui carved and printed only one of his prints ("Dancing") and thereafter left those arts to the professionals. His print "Before the Mirror" mentioned above from 1916 is probably the second "Shin-hanga" print produced. It is said that his 1918 landscape series "Omi hakkei" (Eight Views of Omi) was an inspiration to Hasui to design for woodblocks.