He was expected to succeed his father, Kiyomori, but he died of illness before he could do this, unable to implement any effective measures to solve the conflict between his father and the Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa.
清盛の後継者として期待されながらも、清盛と後白河法皇の対立では有効な対策をとることができないまま、父に先立ち病没した。