æt ðɪ ˈeɪdʒ ʌv ˈeɪt, hiː wʌz ɐdˈɑːptᵻd baɪ hɪz mətˈɜːnəl ɡɹˈændfɑːðɚ, , ɐ sˈæmjʊɹɹˌaɪ sˈɜːvɪŋ ˌʌndɚ tˌoʊkjuːɡˈɑːwə jˈoːɹɪfjˌuːsə, ðə dˈeɪmɪˌoʊ ʌv mˈaɪɾoʊ, ænd tˈʊk fɹʌm hˌɪm ðə sˈɜːneɪm ʌv kjˌuːmɐzˈɑːwə.
At the age of eight, he was adopted by his maternal grandfather, , a samurai serving under Tokugawa Yorifusa, the daimyō of Mito, and took from him the surname of Kumazawa.