- Watson formally approached Japanese Foreign Minister Soejima Taneomi to take action.
- In 1866 he protected Soejima Taneomi, who was being hunted by the Shogunate.
- In 1867, together with Soejima Taneomi, he planned to recommend resignation to the Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu.
- In 1872, he served as secretary to Soejima Taneomi during the negotiations involving the Maria Luz Incident.
- Verbeck's pupils included Lkuma Shigenobu, ItM Hirobumi, Lkubo Toshimichi, Sagara Tomoyasu ( Chian ), and Soejima Taneomi.
- In June 1868, an interim constitution called the was proclaimed, drafted by Fukuoka Takachika and Soejima Taneomi, which established central government in Japan under the Meiji government.
- At the castle Alexei met Soejima Taneomi, head of the GaimushM ( Department of Foreign Affairs ), who made the arrangements for the accommodation and the entertainment of the Russian delegation.
- This administrative code was drafted by Fukuoka Takachika and Soejima Taneomi ( both of whom had studied abroad and who had a liberal political outlook ), and was a mixture of western concepts such as division of powers, and a revival of ancient structures of bureaucracy dating back to Nara period.