西園寺公望
Experienced leaders of the Meiji Restoration were singled out by the Emperor as "genkun", and asked to act as Imperial advisors. With the exception of Saionji Kinmochi, all the "genrō" were from medium or lower ranking "samurai" families, four each from Satsuma and Chōshū, the two former domains that had been instrumental in the overthrow of the former Tokugawa shogunate in the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration of 1867–1868. The "genrō" had the right to select and nominate Prime Ministers to the Emperor for approval.