His academic talents became well known when he was still young since he studied English at the Bansho shirabesho Institute when he was 13, and became a teacher at the Kaiseijo Institute when he was 16.
13歳で蕃書調所で英語を学び、1864年には16歳にして開成所の教授方になるほど、若くしてその英才を謳われる。