Araki Tomei was born in Kyoto in Bunka 14 (1817) and entered the apprenticeship of Goto Tojo at the age of thirteen, from whom he was granted the use of the character "to" and took the name Tomei. He later studied under Goto Ichijo, receiving the art name "Issai," and thereafter signed his works "Issai Tomei." He also employed the Ginshotei and, less frequently, Matsugintei; among comparatively few examples, certain works bear the signature "Tomei Arashu Nobunobu," which constitutes valuable documentary material. In addition to his metalworking training within the Goto lineage, Tomei studied preparatory drawing (shita-e) under the Kyoto painter Hayashi Ranga. It is said that his celebrated specialty -- the carving of millet ears () -- was devised through research undertaken together with Ranga, and that this distinctive motif brought him renown already in his own day. Active in the Bakumatsu era, Tomei is recognized as an eminent figure in the metalworking world of late -period Kyoto and a distinguished disciple of Goto Ichijo.
Tomei's technical mastery centers on the sculptural rendering of millet ears through specialized chisels. Each ear is conceived as a single bloom composed of seven conical grains, with sharply defined tips; the heavy, abundantly ripened clusters appear as though the grains might spill outward at any moment. This three-dimensional modelling, driven in with purpose-built tools, is described as a domain that permits no rival among other craftsmen. His preferred grounds include and polished iron (), upon which the millet is expressed through with and polychrome in gold, silver, , and . The leaves and stems receive equally attentive treatment: the appearance of foliage beginning to wither and change color in autumn is conveyed through the differential application of gold and plain copper, while the branches are rendered with heightened animation. When working on iron grounds, he employs to evoke haze suspended across the scene, a technique inherited from the Ichijo line. The shiguregane catch construction on the ceiling plate, and the file marks applied to rim areas, likewise display characteristics transmitted from Ichijo. His are typically executed in solid gold () with sculptural , while his - ground treatment on is so finely wrought that it can be mistaken for the texture of silk crepe.
Across his designated works, the consistently praises Tomei's millet-ear carvings as occupying a distinctive world of expression that admits no rival. The phrase "the arena in which Tomei excelled above others" recurs as a hallmark evaluation, underscoring that this sculptural artistry was uniquely his domain, far beyond the reach of other artists. Even works departing from the millet subject -- such as his depictions of Mt. with the Longevity Star Deity, or the Two Deities Daikoku and Bishamonten -- are recognized for exceptionally precise carving and high technical ability applied to a dense, lustrous . His compositions balance splendor and restraint in just measure, and his complete mounting suites are praised for achieving a refined elegance of unmistakably Kyoto-style character. The describes the overall tone of his representative works as elevated and dignified, with a lyrical feeling that fully merits the appellation "Tomei of the millet ears." His position within the late Goto tradition is that of a master who, while grounded in the hereditary methods of the Ichijo school, brought to them a pictorial sensibility and sculptural vitality that defined the highest achievement of Bakumatsu-era in Kyoto.
