In Meiji period, author Shoyo TSUBOUCHI described Katsumoto as a loyal subject in "Kiri Hitoha (A Paulownia Leaf)," and historical studies debated his loyalty or disloyalty.
明治には、劇作家の坪内逍遥が史劇『桐一葉』において忠臣としての且元を描き、歴史学においても忠・不忠の視点で論じられた。