A court noble who served Emperor Go-Daigo as both advisor and military commander. He participated in Go-Daigo's plot to overthrow the shogunate during the Genko Incident (1331) and continued anti-shogunate activities even after the emperor's exile to Oki. In the 1333 campaign, he contributed to the destruction of the Rokuhara Tandai alongside Ashikaga Takauji. Under the Kenmu Restoration, he held a key post in the rewards office handling merit-based appointments, though the distribution caused discontent among warriors. When Takauji rebelled in 1336, Tadaaki fought in the defense of Kyoto but was defeated and killed in Omi. He was an unusual figure—a courtier who took up arms.

An unusual courtier who embraced martial pursuits with great energy. Deeply loyal to the emperor, his mishandling of reward distribution nonetheless exposed a critical weakness of the Kenmu government.

The reward distribution problems under the Kenmu Restoration fueled warrior discontent and contributed to the regime's collapse. Tadaaki stands as a symbol of the era when courtiers took up the sword.