Although the house of Ononomiya was a major branch of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, it lagged behind the house of Kujo, a minor Fujiwara branch, in the struggle for leadership between the two Sekke regent families.
小野宮流は藤原北家嫡流でありながら、分派であるはずの九条流に摂家の主導権を奪われた。