He was assigned, on Imperial orders, as secretary to the prime minister in 1889 and as member of Kizokuin (the House of Peers) in 1890; he also served in important posts including head secretary of the Second Ito Cabinet and head secretary of the Privy Council in 1892, and the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce in 1898 as he was active in political operations.
1889年（明治22年）に首相秘書官、1890年（明治23年）貴族院議員に勅選され、1892年（明治25年）第2次伊藤内閣の内閣書記官長、枢密院(日本)書記官長、1898年（明治31年）第3次伊藤内閣の農商務大臣等の要職を務め、政党工作に力を振るった。