He applied for and obtained the position of Genji no choja (chief of the Minamoto clan), taking advantage of confusion caused by the Kakitsu Incident of December 23, 1441, in which Yoshinori ASHIKAGA was assassinated.
嘉吉元年11月2日に嘉吉の変で足利義教が暗殺された混乱に乗じて源氏長者の地位を申請して任ぜられる。