Togo Heihachiro is said to have favored Yonai, raising the possibility that Hirohito's former tutor introduced the two men. Their later contact and the imperial family's personal gestures form the basis of an interpretation that Yonai enjoyed exceptional trust at court. Hirohito gave him a pen, an inkwell, and an inkstone associated with his own writing, while the empress reportedly wept at the prospect of their final meeting. The gifts are interpreted as a possible sign that Yonai could act or write on the emperor's behalf. The argument concerns personal trust and symbolism; it does not establish a formal appointment as genro.
Notable Point · 1:25:03-1:27:17
Imperial gifts and Yonai's relationship with Hirohito
A possible introduction through Togo and later imperial gifts underpin the interpretation of Yonai as a trusted intermediary.