Of the Yuge clan. Serving as healing monk to retired Empress Kōken, he rose to Daijō-daijin Zenji and Hōō when she returned to the throne as Empress Shōtoku. The Usa Hachiman oracle incident, in which he reportedly aimed at the throne, was thwarted by Wake no Kiyomaro, and he was exiled to Shimotsuke Yakushi-ji after Shōtoku's death.