Officially, this was part of the punishment, related to the house arrest of Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa earlier that year, of anti-Taira kuge (court nobles) (known as 'Coup of the Third Year of Jisho'), but the exile took place when the punishment was almost finished, and there was no reason for Tokiie, who was a nephew of TAIRA no Kiyomori's wife, to be involved in such a matter.
表向きはこの年の後白河法皇幽閉に関連した反平家派公家の処罰（「治承三年の政変」）によるものであったが、既に処分がほぼ終わった段階での流刑であり、平清盛の妻の甥である時家がそのような行動に関与する理由もなかった。