Although he joined the Meiji government with recommendation from Munemitsu MUTSU after the Meiji Restoration and served as director of the customs office in Yokohama City for a while, he resigned from the post taking responsibility for the 'Queen incident' over Japanese translation for British "Queen" which he insisted on translating it into the Japanese word "女王" (female king) and refused to accept the opinion of British ambassador Harry Parks who protested against HOSHI's translation and insisted on translating it into 女皇(empress).
明治維新の後には陸奥宗光の推挙で明治政府に入り、一時横浜市税関長となるが、英国のクイーンを「女王」と訳し、「女皇」と訳すべしとするイギリス公使ハリー・パークスの抗議に、自説を主張し一歩も譲らず、いわゆる「女王事件」を引き起こし、引責辞任した。