He was good at not only waka, but also playing instruments such as the biwa (Japanese lute), fue (Japanese flute) and so (a long Japanese zither with thirteen strings), and was relied on deeply by the Retired Emperor Shirakawa.
和歌の才のみならず、琵琶、笛、箏などの管弦に巧みであり、白河上皇の信任が篤かった。