國學院大學
The following year, Yamada was appointed a "sangi" (councillor), and served as head of the Minister of Industry (1879–1880), Home Minister (1881–1883) and Minister of Justice under the first Itō, Kuroda, first Yamagata and Matsukata cabinets (1883–1891). In addition, he helped develop the modern Japanese legal code/ During his visit to France as a member of the Iwakura Mission, he was convinced that the Napoleonic Code of "law takes precedence over the military", was necessary for Japan. He also helped establish both the "Koten Kokyusho" (present-day Kokugakuin University) and the "Nihon Horitsu Gakko")(present-day Nihon University).