Yoshikane was on bad terms with his nephew and the son-in-law, TAIRA no Masakado, and stayed out of the conflict between Masakado and the son of his father-in-law MINAMOTO no Mamoru, in which his elder brother TAIRA no Kunika was killed.
甥であり聟でもある平将門とはかねてから不仲であり、兄の平国香が、将門と舅の源護の息子らの抗争に巻き込まれ死亡した際には不介入であった。