Shinsui was born in 1898 in Tokyo. He was a woodblock print artist in the Ukiyo-E style specializing in beautiful women and landscapes. After WWII, Shinsui had become one of the best known personalities in Japan and was given an honor similar to that given to a living national art treasure.

Shinsui, Goyo, and Kotondo were the three most important printmakers of beautiful women during the Shin Hanga period.