Saigo arrived in Kyoto and was condemned by both the Sabaku and the Joi group (group of adherence to the shogunate and expulsion of the foreigners), and he was surprised that his reputation was very bad with both groups, not only with the patriot of Joi (principle of excluding foreigners) group.
京都に着いた西郷は薩摩が佐幕・攘夷派双方から非難されており、攘夷派志士だけではなく、世評も極めて悪いのに驚いた。