A member of the Saikashu, a sect of Buddhists in the Kii Peninsula. When Nobunaga led an attack against an uprising at Ise Nagashima, the Saikashu supported the rebellion. Saika organized a gun battalion and drove back Nobunaga's army. At the Battle of Ishiyama, Shigehide Suzuki led a gun battalion of 100 men and inflicted great pain on Nobunaga's troops. While serving as liaison to Honganji Temple, Saika fought in the Battle of Yamazaki, and later played a role in the capture of Hideyoshi Toyotomi at Kishu.