In 1881, as a member of an official observation party, he went to Japan, where he first observed the phone and postal service with admiration. In 1883, he became Associate Ambassador plenipotentiary to the United States. During his stay in the US, he paid a visit to the New York post office and a telephone and telegraph office, making careful observations of the communications service, which impressed him so deeply that he decided to introduce a similar service to his home country. Owing to his strong determination and activities, and the support of many other forerunning officials, the General Bureau of posts was created in 1884 by a Royal ordinance, with him, the then Vice Minister of Military Affairs, as its first Chief. In the beginning, the service of the Bureau dealt mainly with commercial business telegraphs and letters to and from foreign countries, rather than with domestic posts.