Before studying on government scholarship in England, he at first pleaded to Toshimichi OKUBO to allow him to study abroad, but Okubo denied him accusing him of being too much of a "chatterbox."
イギリスに官費留学する際、最初は大久保利通に「留学をさせてください」と頼み込んだが、大久保は「平八郎はおしゃべりだから駄目だ」と言い断った。