It is said that he succeeded to his grandfather due to the early death of his father, and FUJIWARA no Yoritsune, seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians"), appointed him shusei (third-ranked official of Gunji) in Oshu in 1221.
父が早く死んだため祖父の後を継ぎ、承久3年（1221年）に征夷大将軍藤原頼経から奥州の主政に補せられたという。