Emperor Meiji also loved this instrument throughout his life and society's valuation of the instrument became even higher when Kokichi NISHI gave a performance in front of the Imperial family at the residence of Tadayoshi SHIMAZU, the former lord of Satsuma Domain, in May, 1881 and "Biwa-bushi" of the head family became a performance only for the Imperial household along with the Chikuzen biwa.
また明治天皇が終生愛好し、明治14年5月に、元薩摩藩主・島津忠義邸にて西幸吉が御前演奏をしたことから、社会的な評価がさらにあがり、やがて「筑前琵琶」とともに「宗家の琵琶節」は皇室向けにしか演奏しない「御止め芸」となった。