Born in 1547 as the son of Yasui Shigetsugu in Owari Province, he was later adopted by Asano Nagakatsu. By marrying Nagakatsu's daughter — also said to be the younger sister of Nene, Hideyoshi's principal wife — he became Hideyoshi's brother-in-law, and leveraged this connection to enter Hideyoshi's service, quickly distinguishing himself as a commissioner. He served in important practical roles for the Toyotomi regime including the land survey of Kai Province after the 1590 Odawara campaign and logistics management during the Korean invasions. Together with Ishida Mitsunari, Maeda Gen'i, Mashita Nagamori, and Natsuka Masaie he formed the "Five Commissioners," serving as their chief in running government affairs. After Hideyoshi's death in 1598, he navigated the tensions between the administrative faction of Mitsunari and the military commanders while seeking a relationship with the Tokugawa. In the Battle of Sekigahara of 1600 he backed Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern army, then retired into seclusion. The Asano clan subsequently had their eldest son Yoshinaga become lord of Wakayama, and in the next generation became lords of Hiroshima with 470,000 koku, continuing until the Bakumatsu. He died in 1611 at age 65.

A straightforward and capable administrator. Lacking flamboyance but supporting Hideyoshi's regime with solid governance. He cherished his ties to Nene and maintained loyalty to the Toyotomi.

A key builder of the Toyotomi regime's administrative foundation. The Asano clan survived as lords of Hiroshima until the Bakumatsu. Asano Naganori of the famous "47 Ronin" story was his descendant.