 His tenure as governor of Okinawa was short, a result, it is said, of Tokyo's disapproval of the extent of his reform programs in the prefecture at a time when there remained sovereignty disputes with China over the islands.Even after leaving this office, however, he continued to make contributions towards the welfare and education of Okinawan students in Japan.Mochinori moved to Yonezawa in 1896, and died there in 1919.