作為一名快速學習者和勤奮的職員,黑田德米很快就負責貝殼業務,並成為了平瀨與一郎的秘書。他在平瀨與一郎的Conchological Museum(1913-1919)的建立和運營中發揮了重要作用,該博物館位於京都動物園附近,處理了平瀨與一郎與外國研究人員的大部分通信。他還幫助編輯和編輯了平瀨與一郎的Conchological Magazine(1907-1915)。1904年,黑田先生跟隨平瀨與一郎歸信基督教,並通過他的教會遇到了許多當時活躍於日本教育的美國傳教士,包括Marshall Gaines和John Thomas Gulick。
職業生涯中期
在1899年至1918年期間,美國和歐洲的研究人員根據平瀨與一郎通過黑田德米向海外發送的材料描述了日本的大部分海洋和陸地軟體動物。當時日本軟體動物專家中的主要成員是費城自然科學院的 Henry Augustus Pilsbry和史密森學會的 William Healey Dall,他們之間描述了來自日本的一千多種海洋和陸地物種。
Kuroda, Tokubei and Tadashige Habe, 1954. "On some Japanese Mollusca described by A. Adams, whose specimens are deposited in the Redpath Museum(英语:Redpath Museum) of Canada (No. 1). Venus 18(1): 1-16, pls. 1, 2.
P. Callomon, 2003. Henry A. Pilsbry and Yoichiro Hirase, with translation of Tokubei Kuroda’s (1958) "In memory of Dr. H. A. Pilsbry: Pilsbry and the Mollusca of Japan." Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 153: 1-6
Kuroda, Tokubei and Tadashige Habe, 1958. "On some Japanese Mollusca described by A. Adams, whose specimens are deposited in the Redpath Museum of Canada. Venus 18(1): 1-16, pls. 1-2.
Kuroda, Tokubei, translated and with an introduction by P. Callomon, 2003. "Yoichiro Hirase, the great collector of Japanese land mollusks, and the collectors who helped him." Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 153:7-14.
Higashi, K. (1987). Kai ni madowasareta issho. Kuroda Tokubei monogatari (A life entranced by shells - the Tokubei Kuroda story) 272 pp. Nishinomiya, Tokubei-Kuroda-monogatari-kai. No ISBN number.
Hanshin Shell Club (1986). Bibliography of Dr. Tokubei Kuroda (for commemoration of his 99th birthday). 103 pp, 33 pls. Nishinomiya, Hanshin Shell Club.
Habe, T. & Inaba, A. (Eds.)(1996). Catalogue of the shellfish type specimens described by the late Dr. Tokubei Kuroda, in the possession of Nishinomiya City. 152 pp, 44 pls. Nishinomiya City, Hyogo.
Habe, T. & Inaba, A. (Eds.)(1997). Catalogue of the shellfish type specimens described by the late Dr. Tokubei Kuroda, except the possession of Nishinomiya City. 61 pp. Nishinomiya City, Hyogo.