The appointment was greatly influenced by the fact that Kinshige SAIONJI had fled to Yoshino after his downfall at the Shohei itto as he had been suspected of having secret connections with the Southern Court, and no one objected to Sanetoshi being the successor of the Saionji family.
これは前々年から前年にかけて発生した正平一統の際に西園寺公重が南朝方に通じたとして失脚して吉野に逃れ、実俊が西園寺家の継承者であることに異論を挟む者がいなくなったことが大きかった。