He established a school in Hakodate much earlier than Keio Gijuku School and took his students to Kokuryuko, Russia by operating the ship called Kameda Maru, which was the first school excursion in Japan.
慶應義塾よりも早く函館に学校を作り、生徒たちを連れて亀田丸を操船してロシアの黒竜江に日本初の修学旅行に出かけたこともある。