Hikohachi was born on April 15, 1855, at the Kagoshima Castle within the Satsuma Province.

[1][2] Under the advice of his uncle Toshimichi Ōkubo, he moved to Tokyo and enrolled in the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1871.

[1] He graduated in July 1878 as part of its 5th Class and made an ensign in January 1881.

Beginning in October 1884, he became a squad leader of the Kongō and became a member of the 2nd Naval Division of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff, being given command of the Naniwa, the Tsukuba and the Itsukushima and by December 1891, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

In May 1898, he became the captain of the Suma, served as chairman of the Iwate during a business trip to the United Kingdom and was transferred to the Sasebo Naval District in November 1903 until he was ordered to participate in the Russo-Japanese War.