Born in Tokyo, Suzuki Shintaro studied painting with the renowned Kuroda Seiki (1866-1924) who is called the 'father of oil painting in Japan'. Suzuki studied with the Hakubakai, the 'White Horse Society', of Western-style painters founded in 1896 by Seiki, Kume Keiichiro (1886-1934), and Ando Nakataro (1861-1912). In 1955 Suzuki helped found the Ichiyokai, a society of oil painters and sculptors.

He exhibited in Bunten (the Ministry of Education Exhibition established in 1907) early in his career. In 1959 he won the Japan Art Academy prize. In 1984 an exhibition entitled "Suzuki Shintaro Oil Paintings" was held at Takashimaya department stores in Tokyo and Osaka.