He learnt a game of Go from a monk in a neighboring temple at age of 9, then at age of 11, he studied a game of Go from Retsugen HONINBO when his father was at Edo kinban (on duty in Edo) and was recognized as 'a young Chinese phoenix in the Go world', then he became a disciple after he returned to home.
9歳で近くの寺の僧より碁を学び、11歳で父の江戸勤番の時に本因坊烈元に碁を見てもらい「碁園の鳳雛」と認められ、帰郷した後に入門。