He was a renowned person of enormous talent, as a waka poet representing the era and was allowed to participate in the Uta-awase ('Sengohyaku ban Uta-awase' - One thousand and five hundreds Set of Poetry Match) at the age of 15 and his poems were included in chokusen wakashus (anthologies of Japanese poetry compiled by Imperial command) including "Shinkokin Wakashu" (New Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry), and was a virtuoso player of the biwa (Japanese lute).
15歳の時に歌合（「千五百番歌合」）への参加を許されて『新古今和歌集』などの勅撰和歌集に収められるなど当代を代表する歌人の一人でもあり、また琵琶に優れていたなど才気に溢れた人物として知られた。