Bairei was a pupil in Kyoto of the Maruyama-Shijo painter Raisho; then, at 27, of the Shijo-school artist Bunin. The Shijo school, also called Maruyama school, was a Japanese school of naturalistic painting that was founded in the late 18th century by Maruyama Masataka. It was made popular by his pupils, among them Matsumura Gekkei, called Goshun, from whose residence on Fourth Street (Shijo), in Kyoto, the movement took its name. The Shijo style was an important influence on painting in Kyoto during the Edo period and was revived for woodblock prints during the Meiji by Bairei. Barei's Album of 100 Birds was published by Okura Magohei in three volumes in 1891, 1892, and 1896, respectively.