He had been Shimotsuke no jo (local official for the Shimotsuke Province) before, but, by his merit of hunting down TAIRA no Masakado, he was promoted to Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade) and appointed to the post of kokushi (provincial governors) for the Shimotsuke and Musashi Provisions as well as Chinju-fu shogun (Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North) and increased his power.
もとは下野掾であったが、平将門追討の功により、従四位下に昇り下野・武蔵二ヶ国の国司と鎮守府将軍に叙せられ、勢力を拡大。