Known as a highly intelligent child, Inoue entered the domain's Confucian academy, eventually becoming one of the academy's resident students. He fought on the imperial side in the Boshin War to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu.
Inoue was recognized for his exceptional intelligence; he attended the domain's Confucian academy, becoming a student there. In the Boshin War, he fought for the imperial forces against the Tokugawa bakufu.