He took the entrance exam and entered the preparatory school Daiichi Daigaku-ku Igakko (present University of Tokyo, Faculty of Medicine) in November 1873 at the age of 11, faking his age to be two years older than he really was.
1873年（明治6年）11月、入校試問を受け、第一大学区医学校（現東京大学医学部）予科に実年齢より2歳多く偽り、11歳で入学。。