During this time an argument for transferring the capital to Edo was received from Hisaka MAEJIMA to Okubo who believed that more important than transferring the capital to Naniwa (Osaka), which was not in danger of decline, the capital should be transferred to Edo, one of the largest cities, because if it wasn't made the imperial capital the citizens would break up and Edo would crumble.
この間、遷都しなくても衰退の心配がない浪華（大坂）よりも、世界の大都市のひとつであり、帝都にしなければ市民が離散してさびれてしまう江戸のほうに遷都すべきだとする前島密による「江戸遷都論」が大久保に届けられた。