Saionji is often viewed as having lacked political power, however this is incorrect because, after Aritomo YAMAGATA died, there was no one surpassing him in terms of political power in Japan.
西園寺は政治力がなかったという見方をされることが多いがこれは誤りで、山縣有朋の死去後政治力で彼を上回るものは当時の日本には存在しなくなった。