Kendo met his father's expectations, and studied calligraphy from 春老谷、水野眉川、銭少虎, studied nanga (a school of painting originating in China) under Somon TETSUO, and learned tenkoku (seal-engraving) from Sekino OGI who was in the school of Genhakumin (seal-engraver in the middle Edo period).
乾堂はこれに応え、書は春老谷、水野眉川、銭少虎に学び、南画を鉄翁祖門に師事し、篆刻は日本の篆刻家一覧の源伯民の流れを汲む大城石農に就いた。