Sukechika ITO was put in charge of watching MINAMOTO no Yoritomo who was defeated in the Heiji War in 1159 and was exiled to Izu Province, because he was trusted by TAIRA no Kiyomori as a member of gozoku in Togoku (the eastern part of Japan, particularly Kanto region) who was pro-Ise-Heishi (a branch of the Taira clan).
東国における親伊勢平氏方豪族として平清盛からの信頼を受け、平治元年（1159年）の平治の乱に敗れて伊豆に配流されてきた源頼朝の監視を任される。