He was extraordinary in that, coming from a powerful local family descended from toraijin (people from overseas, especially from China and Korea, who settled in early Japan and introduced Continental culture to the Japanese), he served Emperor Koken (Shotoku) as well as assuming several important posts under each government of TACHIBANA no Moroe, FUJIWARA no Nakamaro, and Dokyo and remained in power throughout the time Emperor Kammu assumed the throne.
渡来人系の地方豪族の出身でありながら孝謙（称徳）天皇の側近として、橘諸兄・藤原仲麻呂・道鏡の各政権で要職を占めながら失脚することなく桓武天皇の時代まで活躍した異色の人物であった。