During the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (Japan), they initially sided with the Southern Court, but afterwards switched their allegiance to the Northern Court and fought against the Kikuchi clan and other Southern Court supporters in Kyushu; the Muromachi bakufu rewarded them by appointing them shugo (a position tantamount to military governor) over the provinces of Suo, Nagato, and Iwami.
南北朝時代(日本)では南朝(日本)に付くが後に北朝(日本)に帰順して九州の菊池氏らと戦い、幕府から周防国・長門国・石見国の守護職に任じられた。