In the summer of 1820, Kanetane came across a number of books by Hirata Atsutane in a bookstore and after reading them decided to devote himself to kokugaku.
In 1822, Kanetane travelled to Edo to enroll in Hirata Atsutane's school of kokugaku, the Ibukinoya.
In 1841, Atsutane was barred from publishing and expelled from Edo back to his native Kubota Domain by the shogunate's censors.
On December 28, 1850, the injunction against the publication of Atsutane's writings was lifted and the Ibukinoya was able to resume public operation[2] During the Ansei era, Satake Yoshitaka, lord of the Kubota Domain, commanded Kanetane to use the nationwide network of Hirata disciples to gather and compile information on national affairs.
After the Boshin War, Kanetane briefly headed the revived Jingikan before its abolition by the progressivist government.