In February 1878, he entered the Buddhist priesthood, becoming a monk of the Otani school of Jodo Shinshu, and after entering Higashi Hongan-ji's Ikuei School, he was chosen to go to the University of Tokyo's preparatory school (Tokyo Yobimon), graduating from the university's Department of Philosophy of the Faculty of Letters with highest honors in 1887.
1878年2月、得度して真宗大谷派の僧侶となり、東本願寺育英教校に入学、その留学生として東京大学予備門に進み、1887年に東京大学文学部哲学科を首席で卒業。