He was called a businessman with political ties because he had a strong connection with Saccho han-dominated government, and participated in 'Osaka conference' of 1875 at which Toshimichi OKUBO, Takayoshi KIDO, and Taisuke ITAGAKI gathered in a Japanese restaurant to exchange their views and got involved in the scandal over Kiyotaka KURODA's controversial project for selling off assets owned by Hokkaido Development Commission Office (refer to Meiji juyonen no seihen (the failed Meiji-14 coup of 1881)).
薩長藩閥政府との結びつきが強く、明治8年（1875年）に大久保利通、木戸孝允、板垣退助らが料亭に集って意見の交換を行った「大阪会議」や、黒田清隆が批判を浴びた開拓使官有物払下げ事件（参照明治十四年の政変）にも関わり、政商といわれた。