During his younger days (especially between 1876 to 1885), he was greatly influenced by Nagazane MOTODA and Takayuki SASAKI, scholars of the Chinese classics who acted as his jiho (aides) and were supporters of direct imperial rule, and there was a period when he was skeptical about western literature and tried to actively gain control of the government.
若い頃（とりわけ明治10年代）には、侍補で親政論者である漢学者元田永孚や佐々木高行の影響を強く受けて、西洋の文物に対しては懐疑的であり、また自身が政局の主導権を掌握しようと積極的であった時期がある。