In 1893, after coming back from a business trip visiting Qing, he was appointed to the Vice Chief of the Staff Headquarters, assigned to the Senior Army Staff/the Commissary General and was largely involved in the outbreak of the Japanese-Sino War.
1893年（明治26年）から清国に出張の後1893年（明治26年）10月参謀本部次長に就任し、設置された大本営で陸軍上席参謀兼兵站総監につき日清戦争開戦に大きく関わる。