He was ranked with Kugyo earlier than FUJIWARA no Takafusa who was In no Kinshin (the Retired Emperor's courtier) and was said to promote to Kugyo soon; this promotion is said to be backed by his mother-in-law, TAKASHINA no Eishi (Tango no tsubone) favored by the Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa.
公卿昇任が間近と言われていた院近臣の藤原隆房よりも先に公卿に列したために、義母で後白河法皇の寵愛を受けた高階栄子（丹後局）の後ろ盾があったとされた。