In 1857, he left his hometown to study in Edo as a Joshi, and he became a student of Confucian Totsuan OHASHI and got to devote himself to the thought of Sonno Joi (19th century slogan advocating reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners).
上士として安政4年（1857年）には江戸へ遊学し、儒者大橋訥庵の門に学び、尊王攘夷思想に傾倒する。