The first record that described Eitoku's achievements was an entry in "Tokitsugu Kyoki" (Dairy of Tokitsugu YAMASHINA) written on January 29, 1552; according to that record, Hogen KANO (Motonobu KANO) took his grandson to have an audience with Shogun Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA, and this 'grandson' is thought to be Eitoku at the age of 10 (by the traditional Japanese system).
最初に永徳の事績が記録に現れるのは山科言継の日記『言継卿記』の天文21年（1552年）正月二十九日条で、この日に狩野法眼（狩野元信）が孫を連れて将軍足利義輝に拝謁したことが記録されており、この「孫」が当時10歳（数え年）の永徳と推定されている。