Although his father was of the Choshu clan and he was of the second generation of the domain clique, he himself prioritized his position as the governmental official of the Ministry of Home Affairs rather than that of the Choshu clan.
長州藩閥の父をもち、藩閥第二世代に当たるが、彼自身は内務官僚として、長州閥よりも内務省の立場を優先する傾向があった。