was born in Mito-han (now Ibaraki Prefecture). He was a master of the Shintomunen-ryu swordsmanship style. He was one of the original thirteen members of the Shinsengumi, together with Serizawa Kamo and Kondō Isami.
Name
Although he took the name Niimi Nishiki, his real name remains obscure. Scholars have speculated that his real name may have been Niinomi Kumetarō ().