While they were away, Japanese government without them called Rusu-seifu (government while heads of government are away) had a debate over Japan's dispatching of troops to Korea, Seikanron, which led to political changes in 1873 after the delegation returned.
留守政府では朝鮮出兵を巡る征韓論が争われ、使節の帰国後に明治6年の政変に至る。