Prior to this, Aritomo YAMAGATA of the Choshu clique had almost lost his political life when he was implicated in a payoff scandal involving Wasuke YAMASHIROYA, a political merchant.
これより前に、長州閥の山縣有朋が政商・山城屋和助の汚職事件に連座したとして、危うく政治生命を失いかけたことがあった。