Arriving in 1864, those in Choshu debated whether to adopt a proactive plan to march on Kyoto in a second attempt to win Emperor Komei over to the Choshu camp (at this point, the two arguing for the active advance on Kyoto were Matabe KIJIMA and Genzui KUSAKA.)
元治元年に入ると、孝明天皇を再び長州陣営のものとする為、京都に乗り込もうとする積極策が長州で論じられた（この時の積極的に上洛を説いたのが、来島又兵衛、久坂玄瑞。