Tokinobu was the jiju (a chamberlain) at that time, but did not attend Kamo no rinjisai (Kamo shrine, special festival) along with his coworker FUJIWARA no Tadanobu and FUJIWARA no Nobutaka, who was the Kurodo (Chamberlain), and received the disapproval of Emperor Kazan, and Nobutaka being the oldest among the three was dismissed from his post, while Tokinobu and Tadanobu were lectured in front of his parents in consideration of their youth according to "Shoyuki" (the diary of FUJIWARA no Sanesuke).
永観2年（984年）に当時侍従であった時叙が同僚の藤原斉信、蔵人の藤原宣孝とともに賀茂臨時祭への出席をさぼって花山天皇の激怒を買い、年長の宣孝は処分されたものの、時叙と斉信は「年歯太若」であることを理由に両親の前で誡められたことが藤原実資の『小右記』に記されている。