He was loved by the corpulent and fair skinned Emperor Goshirakawa, who had homosexual (pederast) inclinations and is said not to have hesitated in showing his affections in the public gaze of the royal court.
体格は肥満で色白、男色（衆道）も好んだ後白河天皇に愛され、宮廷では人目も憚らぬ程の寵愛ぶりであったという。