He entered Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and after he held successively the posts such as Leader of Investigation Bureau, Leader of Government Affairs Bureau, the Minister to the U.S.A., the Minister to Italy, and the Minister to France, in the beginning of the twentieth century, he had been making every effort at diplomatic negotiations as Minister to Russia just before the Russo-Japanese War began.
外務省に入省し、取調局長、政務局長、駐米公使、駐伊公使、駐仏公使を経て、20世紀初頭、駐露公使として日露戦争直前まで外交交渉に尽力。