Naosuke was a well-known Noh lover and he reproduced "Tanuki no Harazutsumi" (a Kyogen story about a hunter and a raccoon dog, commonly called "Hikone tanuki") that had been lost at that time, also wrote "Onigayado" (a Kyogen story of a drunk and his lover) and got Masatora to perform it.
直弼は能楽好きで知られ、当時失伝していた「狸腹鼓」を復曲（俗称「彦根狸」）したり「鬼ヶ宿」を自作したりしては正虎に演じさせていた。