Although he had placed FUJIWARA no Tadahira as Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor) for a while since his accession in 946, he did not appoint any Sekkan (regents and advisers) but took power by himself after Tadahira's death in 949.
村上天皇は、946年（天慶9年）に即位した後しばらくは藤原忠平を関白に置いていたが、949年（天暦3年）に忠平が没すると、以後、摂関は置かず天皇親政の形式をとった。