After filling the posts of Shogeki (Junior Secretary) and Daigeki (Senior Secretary), he was chosen as one of the Nashitsubo no Gonin (Five Gentlemen of the Pear Chamber) in 975, edited the "Manyoshu" (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) and selected waka for the "Gosen Wakashu" (Later selected collection of Japanese poetry).
少外記、大外記などを経て、975年（天延3年）梨壺の五人の一人に選ばれ、『万葉集』の訓読、『後撰和歌集』の撰集にあたった。