While the eighth Kichibe was said to be the best scroll mounter out of all the generations, he was also familiar with Kokugaku (the study of Japanese classical literature) and Confucianism, maintaining deep friendships with scholars and loyal supporters of "Revere the Emperor and expel the foreigners."
8代・吉兵衛は歴代の中でも最も名手といわれる一方、国学、儒学に通じ、尊皇攘夷派の学者や志士と深く交わりを持った人物である。