At the age of 22, his talent attracted the attention of Nariakira SHIMAZU (the lord of Satsuma clan), so that he was involved in Shuseikan (Western-style industrial complex) project, reinforcement of the Navy of Satsuma clan, the construction of warships and a reverberatory furnace to lay the foundations of modern navy.
22歳で島津斉彬に見出され、尚古集成館事業や薩摩藩水軍増兵、軍艦建造、反射炉建設の職にあたり、近代海軍の礎を築いた。