Shinagawa Takumi was born in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, in 1908. Shinagawa began his artistic career by enrolling at the Tokyo Metropolitan Technical school in Tsukiji with the intention of becoming an oil painter. However, through experimentation with various mediums (i.e., paper, wood, and wire), he gradually shifted his focus to metallic sculpture. By graduation, Shinagawa had developed a keen interest in abstraction and print techniques (in particular Picasso's lithography); furthermore, what would set him apart from the collective body of sosaku hanga artists was his willingness to experiment with a wide variety of mediums, materials, and subjects. 

Through his personal connections within the artistic community, Shinagawa was introduced to artist Onchi Koshiro in 1935. From Onchi, Shinagawa received considerable influence and became increasingly interested in mokuhanga as a medium for experimentation with lines. He often cut away lines on the woodblock to reveal the forms behind it or used a chisel to gouge them out entirely, rather than follow a template. The resulting effect is one of spontaneity and harmony between vision and form. In several other prints, he used embossing by placing sandpaper between thickened torinoko sheets. Shinagawa continued on to newer, bolder techniques, experimenting with paint, pigmentation, hues, and linework, which led to a highly eclectic body of work. 

Later in his career, Shinagawa became involved in Ichimokushu as well as the Nihon Hanga Kyokai and Kokugakaiin 1947. As his popularity swelled, he was also represented at various international events, including Ibiza in 1969 and Krakow in 1975. In addition to his hanga, Shinagawa was an avid photographer, contributing author for art media, and teacher. He passed away in 2009 at the age of one hundred and one.