Matsudaira graduated from the 28th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1900.

He was promoted to lieutenant in 1905 and assigned to the battleship Chin'en, followed by the cruisers Yakumo in 1906 and Akashi (where he was chief gunnery officer) in 1907.

He inherited his brother's title of viscount (shishaku) under the kazoku peerage system.

Matsudaira was promoted to commander in 1916, and was assigned as aide-de-camp to Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu from December 1916-November 1918.

Promoted to captain in 1920, he received his first command on 10 November 1922: the battlecruiser Ibuki.