After being Benkan (Oversight Department: division of the daijokan responsible for controlling central and provincial governmental offices), Sadaiben (Major Controller of the Left), and Sangi (Royal Advisor), he climbed to the position of Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank) Chunagon (vice-councilor of state) under Emperor Kogon, but after the decline of the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), promotional job assignments were made invalid by the reinstated Emperor Godaigo and therefore he became a strong opponent of the Kenmu Restoration.
後に弁官・左大弁・参議を歴任後、光厳天皇のもとで正三位中納言にまで上るが、鎌倉幕府滅亡後、復位した後醍醐天皇によって昇進人事を無効とされると、建武の新政に激しく反発した。