According to a letter sent to Haruniwa MOTOORI to join as a disciple of after the death, Atsutane stated that Norinaga appeared in his dream and contracted a teacher-pupil relationship.
没後の門人として加わるために本居春庭に宛てた書簡によると、夢に宣長が現れて、そこで師弟関係を結んだと述べている。