Dr. and Mrs. Murray worried that he would not be able to refuse such continuous necessity from the government without their protection. Probably by Dr. Murray’s request, Hatakeyama came back to the U.S. with the head of the Education Department Fujimaro Tanaka to join the Expo. Dr. Murray knew that Hatakeyama was not well enough to work with him. Instead, he called him for giving him the needed rest in Bryn Mawr, PA.

Most of time Hatakeyama spent his time in the bed in the private home in Bryn Mawr. Probably in Dr. Murray or Martha’s family’s or friend’s place for treatment. The treatment of TB that time was simply taking rest, no cure had been discovered yet. However, he visited New Brunswick in the time of Commencement of 1876. Turgam, the students paper of Rutgers, and New York Times tell he was conferred honorable MA from Rutgers in their commencement. He probably met with his old friends in his second home town New Brunswick. In spite of his known robust manly insensitive characteristic, the head of Japanese members of Expo, Tsugumichi Saigo visited Hatakeyama in his almost-dying bed in Bryn Mawr pretty often. In August 1876, Hatakeyama decided to go back to Japan. He took a sea voyager via Panama this time by the doctor’s suggestion and reached San Francisco in September. And left America he loved for his homeland again in early October. Hikoichi Orita who later became the first director of Kyoto University, had been the companion of his throughout the trip, and a few other came with him from either New York or joined in San Francisco. In Orita’s diary, Hatakeyama suffered very much in the sea voyage but often he told Orita he felt a lot better. However, he could not hold on to his life until arriving to Japan. As if he showed his love to the both nations, he died on the ship crossing the Pacific on October 20, 1876 at age of 34, or 33 or 32. Only 3 years after his return from the west. He was embalmed on the ship and buried in Tokyo in Shintoism fashion. Actually, Shintoism funeral never have been common in Japan except the period of time between the end of Edo and the beginning of Meiji. Most Meiji officers who died during this period were buried in Shintoism but it has never been common otherwise.

Hatakeyama died during that period. Griffis and Clark both felt bad about the treatment for a christian. His short life ended here. Dr. Murray was unbearably disappointed and missed him more and more that he said in the letter to his family, and tells how much a valuable being he was in his short story about Hatakeyama’s life “Hatakeyama of Japan”. Although he and Japan already had quite a few people having such a capability of assisting him and modernization of Japan, Murray says in his writing that no one could replace him but Hatakeyama. Hatakeyama’s knowledge of Japan helped Dr. Murray for adjusting a new system or opinion to introduce. His gentle and likable personality helped ease the government officers and help them to accept Dr. Murray’s ideas. And they understood each other more than anyone else. Hatakeyama was Dr. Murray’s Japanese half. He spoke to the officers as if Dr. Murray spoke in Japanese. Mrs. Murray wept for the younger brother-like Little Soogi’s departure. They lost not only effective assistance but also a close young friend. However, their love remained and they did not stop assisting the government and Japanese in general.