He learned in Tounkan (temporarily established as hanko (a domain school) for Fukuoka Domain during the period until Shuyukan in the Meiji period was rebuilt from hanko Shuyukan and the predecessor of current Fukuoka Prefectural Shuyukan Senior High School), went to Tokyo to study in Kyoritsu school (the predecessor of Kaisei Junior & Senior High School) and Preparatory School of the University of Tokyo (Tokyo Yobimon) (the predecessor of the former Daiichi Koto Gakko (First High School) and graduated at the top of his class from the law school of Tokyo University in 1892.
藤雲館（藩校修猷館から明治期修猷館再興までの間、一時期福岡藩の藩校として設立。現在の福岡県立修猷館高等学校の前身）に学び、上京して共立学校（開成中学校・高等学校の前身）、東京大学予備門（旧制第一高等学校の前身）を経て、明治25年（1892年）に東京大学法科大学を首席で卒業。