 A well-known story is that Mitsutaka received word of the birth of his son, Tsunanori just as he was departing Kanazawa for the return journey to Edo for his "sankin kōtai" obligation and became so excited that the party rushed back to Edo in a record seven days from Kanazawa.Mitsutaka was also accomplished in the martial arts, and was also known for his knowledge of both Japanese and Chinese literature.He was also regarded for his appearance, and became a favorite of Tokugawa Iemitsu.