In the Meiji restoration, he persuaded Koichiro KAWADA, the representative of new government trying to take over Besshidozan Copper mine to continuously entrust its business operation to Sumitomo and let them admit it, saying that 'entrusting the operation of copper mine to an inexperienced person would cause big loss of the nation without profit.'
明治維新の際には別子銅山を接収しようとした新政府代表の川田小一郎に対し「銅山経営を経験のない者に任せると、利益なく国家の大損失となる」と、経営を引き続き住友に任せるよう説得しこれを認めさせた。