When MINAMOTO no Yoritomo raised an army in 1180, Yoshishige took an opportunistic attitude for a time while his nephew Yoshikane ASIKAGA, his son Yoshinori YAMANA and his grandson Yoshinari SATOMI returned to a general's command at an early stage.
治承4年（1180年）の源頼朝挙兵の際には、甥足利義兼・子山名義範・孫里見義成らが早期にその麾下に帰参したのに対し、義重は一時日和見的態度を取る。