If no ichi no kami was specified, the court noble with the top rank other than the sessho and kanpaku, at that time, MINAMOTO no Kaneakira, sadaijin customarily carried out jobs of the ichi no kami, but because of appointment by Kanemichi, political powers of Kaneakira, who was very popular as a sisei kozoku (a member of the Imperial Family conferred with a family name) was divested.
一上が特に定められていない場合には、摂関を除く最上位の公卿、当時の場合には左大臣源兼明が一上の職務を行う慣例となっていたが、兼通による指名によって賜姓皇族として人望の厚かった兼明の政治的権限が剥奪されてしまった。