When Morihei turned 21 he was eligible for military service and underwent a conscription examination which was very strict, with a minimum height requirement of five feet two-and-a-half inches (159 cm.), and proportionate bodyweight.
He was heavier than average but slightly below the height requirement and although he strongly wished to serve his country at such a critical moment, he could not fool the examiners.
Nonetheless, strong men were desperately needed at such a time and he was finally allowed to join the Wakayama 61st Infantry Regimen.