[1] He studied along with Cho Chikun, Masao Kato, Yoshio Ishida, and Masaki Takemiya.
He went on to marry the daughter of his teacher, Reiko Kitani (1939–1996), a 6-dan who has won the All-Japan Women's Championship several times.
[2] Together they had a daughter, Izumi Kobayashi, who is now one of the leading female Go players in Japan.
Kobayashi's rivalry with Cho Chikun has continued for some time and they frequently play against each other.
Two years after joining Kitani Minoru's dojo, Kobayashi was promoted to be a 1-dan professional.