His relatives were resolved that he should become a Buddhist priest, but he moved to Tokyo at the age of 15 in order to find work, and to pursue a literary career. After working as an employee of a railroad, and as a forester, he saved up enough money to take classes at Toyo University and Waseda University, he met aspiring author Kazuo Hirotsu, and ended up as a disciple of author Tokuda Shusei. He studied philosophy, literature and English literature, but dropped out of school when he felt that he had learned enough (and when his money ran out).