His father Yoriyoshi, who held the titles Chinjufu Shogun (Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of North) and Mutsu no kami (the governer of Mutsu Province), suffered a great defeat at the Battle of Kiumi resulting in several hundred casualties in November 1057 during the Earlier Nine Years' War against the Abe clan.
鎮守府将軍、陸奥守に任ぜられた父頼義が安倍氏(奥州)と戦った前九年の役では、1057年（天喜5）11月に数百の死者を出し大敗した黄海の戦いを経験。