Sanya Nakade graduated from a commercial high school in Tokyo. He studied painting under Okada Saburōsuke at the Hongo Institute of Arts in Tokyo. In 1917 Nakade won a first prize at the Inten Exhibition and became a member of the academy in the following year. Another first prize came in 1928 at the Emperor Exhibition. He was later admitted to the Shin (New) Bunten Exhibitions. After the end of World War II, Nakade moved to Matsusaka and eventually died at age 74. He lived together with female painter Hitoyo Kai (1902-1963).