Born in an island village in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, Tamotzu studied art privately as well as dance and music. He studied at Senshu University in Tokyo, before leaving Japan to travel internationally to study Asian and European art. He made his way to New York in 1920, after traveling through China, Korea, India, Borneo, France, Belgium, England, and Holland. In New York, he became part of the art scene befriending artists associated with the Art Students League, including Philip Evergood, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and John Sloan.
Largely self-taught, Tamotzu mastered Sumi ink drawing, printmaking, and painting in oils and tempera. During the Great Depression, he worked for the Public Works of Art Project in New York but was unable to benefit from W.P.A. programs because he was not a U.S. citizen. He served as a combat sketch artist in WWII and eventually gained citizenship. In 1947, he was a founding member of the New York Artists' Equity Association.
He relocated to Santa Fe, renting John Sloan's studio, which he eventually transformed into an art gallery. Tamotzu joined the vibrant art community there, exhibiting regularly at the Museum of New Mexico.
