He established a warm friendship with Kakukakusai, the sixth generation of Omote Senke (the main branch of the Senke school of tea ceremony), and was designated as a regular joiner for tea ceremony and given the name of 'Risai' by the House of Sen.
彼は表千家六世・覚々斎の知遇を得て千家出入りの茶方指物師として指名され、「利斎」の名を与えられた。