While he was greenhorn, he was challenged to a duel by Hanbei IWAMI, and after he refuted Hanbei, he became good friends with residents of the Ueno residential district of samurai to which Iwami belonged.
二才（にせ＝若者。15歳頃から24歳頃）時代に石見半兵衛に決闘を申し込まれ、それを論難して以来、石見が属する上之園方限（ほうぎり）の郷中の士と親交を結んだ。