In December 1861, he needed time for preparing to carry out a troops dispatch plan formulated by Hisamitsu aiming at the reform of Edo bakufu (later this led to the Bunkyu Reform), and he was obliged to take a tricky measure by the order of the domain; that is to set fire to the Satsuma Domain's own residence maintained in Edo in order to delay the period of Sankinkotai (a system under which feudal lords in the Edo period were required to spend every other year in residence in Edo) for domain lord Tadayoshi SHIMAZU.
文久元年（1861年）12月、江戸幕府改革を目指した久光の出兵計画（後に文久の改革に繋がる）の準備のための時間稼ぎを行う必要があり、藩主島津忠義の参勤交代を遅らせるための奇策として、国元からの指示で江戸藩邸を自焼させた。