He succeeded his grandfather Yoshinobu KIRA on November 8, 1516, because his father Yoshimoto had passed away prior to that year without taking over as the head of the family.
父義元が家督を継ぐことなく永正13年（1516年）以前に没したため、同年10月4日、祖父吉良義信から家督を譲られる。