He returned to Kawachi and set about rearming the Kawachi Ishikawa-Genji (Minamoto clan), coming under the protection of MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, who--himself a descendant of the Kawachi-Genji (Minamoto clan)--later said of Yoshikane that "He is the greatest Genji (Minamoto clan) in Kawachi."
河内に戻り石川源氏を再武装し、源頼朝の傘下に入り、河内源氏後裔の頼朝から「河内随一の源氏」と評される。