Having reconciled with his father, in 1934 he went to France, where he studied with Marcel Granet and Marcel Mauss until 1940, when he went back Japan: he studied Noh with Master Hosada, Seitai with Master Haruchika Noguchi and Aikido with Master Morihei Ueshiba.
Among his students were also Korean-Japanese Itsuo Tsuda, who developed the école de la respiration and several future sinologists.