As FUJIWARA no Hidehira was worried about the extending influence of Yoritomo, who had already dominated the Kanto region and the area to the west, he tried to back up Yoshitsune in order to compete against the Kamakura side, however he died of illness on October 29, 1187 (old lunar calendar).
藤原秀衡は関東以西を制覇した頼朝の勢力が奥州に及ぶことを警戒し、義経を将軍に立てて鎌倉に対抗しようとしたが、文治3年（1187年）10月29日_(旧暦)に病没した。