Engineer. Pioneer of education for the visually impaired. In 1862, he stowed away to England together with Ito Hirobumi and Inoue Bunta (Inoue Kaoru), and studied industrial technology and shipbuilding technology. After the Meiji Restoration, he returned to Japan. He served at the Industry Ministry and worked on inviting foreign advisors (oyatoi gaikokujin) and training technical workers. Later, he became Kobukyo (Industry Minister), a court councilor, and the chief justice of the Administrative Court. He gained the title of shishaku (viscount). He also made efforts toward the establishment of Rakuzen-kai Kunmou-in (later, the Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired at the University of Tsukuba).