Born to Komatsu and Seitaro Iue, Toshio was the eldest son of eight children (three boys and five girls). His father, Seitaro Iue, came from a long line of farmers. But rather than doing what was expected and following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Toshio's father chose a more adventurous path. Drawn to the sea, he bought a ship and travelled to various ports in Kyushu (southern part of Japan), Osaka and even Korea. His actions were later to have a strong influence on his eldest son. When Toshio was thirteen his father passed away. Seitaro's final wishes were that his children continue in their education. Should any of the children choose to go onto higher learning, he told his wife to sell parts of their farmland. However, Toshio had a strong affinity for the sea that he would carry with him throughout his life (he was later to name his company SANYO – "three oceans"). He craved a more exciting future and saw the sea as an endless expanse of opportunities. Against his father's wishes, he quit school and became an apprentice sailor for his uncle in February of 1917. On the day of his departure, his mother could be seen from a distance watching her eldest son of thirteen leave home for the first time.