Yonai's refuge for Yamamoto and the imperial chauffeur

In one account of political violence, Yamamoto and other threatened officers took refuge in a geisha household under Yonai's protection. The would-be attackers reportedly intended to remove everyone except Yonai, although some worried that he would intervene. Entering the Willow World also meant violating the protected social spaces of the geisha and risking retaliation from criminal organizations associated with the district. The soldiers nevertheless approached until they saw a chauffeur or guard wearing an imperial-household uniform beside a car. They then withdrew. The anecdote distinguishes Yonai's personal protection and local connections from the additional authority conveyed by a visible connection to the imperial household.