Kazanin family, his mother's family, had a connection with both the Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa and TAIRA no Kiyomori and maintained its influence based on the balance of power between them.
母方の花山院家は後白河法皇・平清盛の双方と繋がりがあり、両者の勢力均衡の上に立って影響力を保持していた。