In 1189, when his master FUJIWARA no Yasuhira was routed in the Oshu-seibatsu (Kamakura bakufu's military campaign against the Fujiwara of northern Japan) by MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, Kawada no Jiro, who was a feudal lord of Nienosaki, Hinai-gun (present-day Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture), betrayed his master and killed Yasuhira in the predawn hours of October 21.
文治5年（1189年）、源頼朝の奥州征伐によって主人藤原泰衡が敗走すると、比内郡贄柵（現秋田県鹿角市）の領主であった河田次郎は裏切って9月3日(旧暦)未明に泰衡を討った。