Born around 1571 as a samurai of Mutsu Province, he became a retainer of Date Masamune. In October 1613, designated chief envoy of the Keicho Embassy on Masamune's orders, he set sail aboard the San Juan Bautista—built by Masamune—with Spanish Franciscan missionary Luis Sotelo. Crossing the Pacific to New Spain (present Mexico) and then the Atlantic, he reached Spain in 1614 and presented Masamune's letter seeking trade and missionaries to King Philip III. He then traveled to Rome, received a papal audience with Paul V in 1615, was baptized under the name Don Filippo Francisco Faxecura, and was granted Roman citizenship. Despite the ceremonial success, no concrete diplomatic results were achieved. After a long return journey he arrived home in 1620, only to find the shogunate's ban on Christianity had hardened to the point where the mission's goals were entirely moot. The seven-year odyssey ended in hardship rather than reward, and he died in 1622. His journey across two oceans is celebrated today as a symbol of early Edo-period Japan's brief engagement with the wider world.

A loyal samurai who set out for unknown lands in faithful service to his lord. His sincerity in fulfilling his role as envoy through years in alien cultures stands out. Though his return brought hardship, he achieved a remarkable place in history.

Immortalized in Japanese diplomatic history as the first Japanese to officially visit Spain and Rome. His portrait is preserved in Rome's Borghese Gallery and is a National Treasure. Records of the embassy are inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.