Shintaro maintained contact with Sanetomi SANJO and actively served as a liaison to all the exiles from Satsuma and Choshu, involving Ryoma SAKAMOTO of Kaientai (a group of leaderless warriors) and Kusuzaemon HIJIKATA (also known as Hisamoto HIJIKATA), who served as Sanjo's guard.
三条実美とも連絡を取りつつ脱藩志士たちのまとめ役として、薩摩と長州の志士たちの間を飛び回り、海援隊(浪士結社)の坂本龍馬や三条の随臣土方楠左衛門（土方久元）をも説き伏せて巻き込んで行った。