He was a founding member of the Meirokusha (Japan's first academic society) with Yukichi FUKUZAWA, Arinori MORI, Amane NISHI (illuminator), Masanao NAKAMURA, Hiroyuki KATO, Mamichi TSUDA and others.
福澤諭吉、森有礼、西周(啓蒙家)、中村正直、加藤弘之、津田真道らと、明六社を結成。