SAKANOUE no Yoshikage, his father, was the grandson of SAKANOUE no Kiyono who was the third son of SAKANOUE no Tamuramaro (There is also a theory that Yoshikage was the grandson of SAKANOUE no Hirono, the second son of Tamuramaro).
父は坂上田村麻呂の三男の坂上浄野（次男の坂上広野ともいう）の孫の坂上好蔭。