Furthermore, while he was Minister of Education he sporadically showed behavior that clearly distinguished him from nationalistic politicians of the early Showa period, such as making an attempt to revise the Ordinance on Education, but even though he resisted the expansion of military influence, his power alone could not successfully prevent the war.
また、文部大臣在任中に教育ニ関スル勅語の改訂を試みるなど昭和初期の国家主義的政治家とは一線を画す言動を散発的に見せるが、軍部の勢力拡大に抵抗したものの、彼だけの力では戦争回避を成し遂げることはできなかった。