After returning to Japan, over the Seikan-ron (debate over conquering Korea), he opposed the idea of dispatching Takamori SAIGO to Korea as an ambassador and then postponed the dispatch indefinitely (as a result, Takamori resigned as Sangi (Royal Advisor) and Konoe-totoku (Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard)).
帰国後は征韓論論争において、西郷隆盛を大使として朝鮮に派遣する案に反対して辞意を表明し、その後西郷の派遣を無期延期させた（その結果、西郷は参議・近衛都督を辞職した）。