These changes in Europe were known to the Iwakura Mission, when it left Yokohama at the end of 1871.
In August 1870 the Japanese Government had sent a mission including Shinagawa Yajiro, Hayashi Yuzo,
Oyama Iwao, Ikeda Shoichi and Arichi Shinojo to monitor the Franco-Prussian War which arrived in Berlin
in October. By the time of the arrival, Napoleon III was already defeated, but Paris had not yet surrendered,
so there was enough information still to be gathered. The mission returned in May 1871. So facts were
known, but weighing up their significance must have been difficult. France had been beaten, but it got due
attention by the Iwakura Mission and was visited for more than two months. The schedule for Germany,
which the mission had in any case to pass on its tour through Europe, apparently was fixed en route. The
stay, originally planned for just one week, was extended to nearly four weeks, which was still half the time
France got. The other Great Powers like Russia and Austria were allocated even less