In 1865, his uncle, Senzo TSUKIGATA, resisted Edo bakufu as a chieftain of Chikuzen Kinnoto (loyalist clique), so his whole family including young Kiyoshi was restrained and imprisoned.
1865年（慶応元年）叔父の月形洗蔵は筑前勤王党首領として江戸幕府に抗した為、一族そろって拘束され幼少の潔もまた収監されてしまう。