Toru Arai, the name he used until 1937, also worked under the pseudonyms Toru Matsuki and Toru Sueki, which he used in 1938. Little else is known of his life. From 1928 Arai was frequently represented at exhibitions. Later, he changed his name and, together with others, founded the Zōkei hanga kyōkai (Block Form Printing Association). In 1938, he lived in and worked Koto, Tokyo and was involved in producing several magazines for hangas (Japanese woodblock prints). After 1943, his trail gets lost.