While there is no doubt that Itagaki immensely contributed to the growth of Japan's democracy, however, because of his selfless character with no thirst for money and with no wiliness (that is to say, he was simply "a nice person"), he was not necessarily an adept politician, a profession that requires to be broad-minded enough to deal with all sorts of good and evil.
板垣は日本の民主主義発展に大きな功績を残したが、彼自身は無欲恬淡、金銭欲も淡白でしたたかさがなく（端的に言えば「いい人」）、清濁合わせ呑むことが要求される政治家としては必ずしも有能だったとは言えない。