Born in Shiga prefecture, he served to Toyotomi Hideyoshi since he was still very young. He was known for his knowledge and skill at calculation. After he was defeated, he sought to escape but was caught by villages as he passed a village.

The story of James Clavell's novel Shogun, is based on the strife between Ishida (Ishido, in the novel) and Tokugawa (Toranaga).