Yumeji Takehisa was born in 1884 in Okayama Prefecture. At the age of 17 he moved to Tokyo to study at Waseda Jitsugyo School. During his enrollment, he taught himself to paint and provided illustrations for newspapers and journals. Takehisa's success as an illustrator encouraged him to fully concentrate on a career as an artist from 1906 onwards. It was in particular his sentimental portraiture of women that became highly popular.

Takehisa produced works in a wide range of media such as traditional Nihonga painting, watercolors, oil painting, prints and illustrations, as well as he provided designs for everyday goods and apparel. He furthermore wrote poetry and children’s songs. His work proved of lasting impact on the Japanese art world and represents the romanticism of the Taisho era. Takehisa died in 1934.