awa ▁sh og un ate ▁had ▁refused ▁to ▁do . ▁ ▁As ▁Fin ance ▁Minister ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁ Ō k ub o ▁en act ed ▁a ▁Land ▁Tax ▁Reform , ▁the ▁H ait ō rei ▁Ed ict , ▁which ▁prohib ited ▁sam ur ai ▁from ▁we aring ▁s words ▁in ▁public , ▁and ▁ended ▁official ▁disc rim ination ▁against ▁the ▁out cast s . ▁In ▁foreign ▁relations , ▁he ▁worked ▁to ▁secure ▁revision ▁of ▁the ▁une qual ▁treat ies ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁I w ak ura ▁Mission ▁on ▁its ▁round - the - world ▁trip ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁ ▁Real izing ▁that ▁Japan ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁any ▁position ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁Western ▁powers ▁in ▁its ▁new ▁present ▁state , ▁ Ō k ub o ▁returned ▁to ▁Japan ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁just ▁in ▁time ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁strong ▁stand ▁against ▁the ▁proposed ▁invasion ▁of ▁Korea ▁( Se ikan ron ). ▁He ▁also ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁Os aka ▁Conference ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 5 ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁bring ▁about ▁a ▁recon c ili ation ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Me iji ▁o lig archy . ▁ ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁win ▁over ▁former ▁colle ague ▁Sa ig ō ▁Tak am ori ▁regarding ▁the ▁future ▁direction ▁of ▁Japan . ▁Sa ig ō ▁became ▁convinced ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁new ▁policies ▁of ▁modern ization ▁were ▁wrong