However, Kyoko TACHIBANA, a researcher of history, studied usages of '被申候'in other passages across Haretoyo's diary and concluded it was what Sadakatsu MURAI said, arguing that Sadakatsu would never say such a thing without Nobunaga's permission because Nobunaga disliked his followers' arbitrary decisions or executions, and that he represented Nobunaga's wish to gain the post, which led to controversies of pros and cons among historians.
ところが、歴史研究家の立花京子が晴豊の日記全体の「被申候」使用例を分析した結果、村井貞勝の言葉と解釈し、独断専行を嫌う信長に無断で貞勝が発言するはずがないとし、信長の将軍任官の意向を踏まえたものであったと主張したことにより、歴史学者の間で賛否両論の論争となった。