Ichiro was born near Toi Koku, son of the austere magistrate Kitsuki Hideaki and the warm, perceptive Reishi, formerly a Scorpion. His father became an Emerald Magistrate but ended up in a bureaucratic position after losing a leg during an investigation, and served for many years before retiring from public life to become a sensei at the Kitsuki dojo. Seeking his father’s approval after his mother died giving birth to his middle brother, Ichiro excelled among the Investigators and received his Topaz Champion grandfather’s name: Yasuhide.

Assigned to the diplomat Agasha Kyosei, Yasuhide found both a mentor and dear friends, including Kyosei’s niece, Nanko, whom taught him to laugh again. During a Phoenix border crisis, he was fundamental in avoiding open conflict, establishing a reputation as a peacekeeper. In the years that followed, he served as a calm mediator in disputes with Crane, Lion, Dragonfly, and Unicorn, as well as finding time to aid his cousin Yogo Akaya in her pursuits - their bond grew stronger with the passing of time, and Yasuhide trusts her implicitly.

Eventually, after hearing rumors of Nanko resurfacing in Kaeru Toshi after years of absence and seeing that his brother Hideya had been assigned to the same city, Yasuhide petitioned his father for permission to accompany his brother at the City of the Rich Frog.