Prior to the establishment of the Imperial Diet in 1890, members of the House of Peers were elected, among which, members selected from viscounts including Toyoshige YAMAUCHI, Hisayoshi KANO, Masayasu HOTTA formed a group named Seimukenkyukai, which was mainly composed of viscount councilors, to study political affairs and to promote mutual friendship on September 22, 1890, and that was the origin of Kenkyukai.
1890年の帝国議会開設に備えて貴族院議員の選出が行われたが、このうち子爵出身者であった山内豊誠・加納久宜・堀田正養らが政策研究と懇親を兼ねた団体として同年の9月22日に子爵議員を中心として立ち上げた政務研究会を源流とする。