During the Kamakura period, he was treated as Monyo (meaning a blood relation) having won the trust of the bakufu because he was a distant relative to MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, his father had a close relationship with Yoritomo's father (Yoshitomo), and his legitimate wife was a sister of Masako HOJO, who was Yoritomo's wife.
鎌倉時代は源頼朝と遠縁として、また父が頼朝の父　源義朝と浅からぬ縁があったこと、頼朝の御台所　北条政子の妹を正室としたこともあり、幕府の信望を得て門葉として遇された。