Born into the Nakahara, a lower Kyoto aristocratic family, he was the elder brother (by blood or by marriage) of Oe no Hiromoto. Connected with Minamoto no Yoritomo from early on, he came down to Kamakura as a civil aide after Yoritomo's uprising. Skilled in dealings with the imperial court and nobility, he was entrusted with the office of Kyoto deputy (Kyoto shugo), serving as the bridge between shogunate and court. As an officer of the Kumonjo he also handled documentary administration in the early shogunate, and after Yoritomo's death he was named a member of the council of thirteen. He further served as Chinzei bugyo, overseeing governance in Kyushu. He died in 1209.

A skilled negotiator versed in the etiquette and networks of court society, he served as the mediator linking a Kamakura prone to martial solutions with a Kyoto that prized tradition and rank. Together with his brother Hiromoto, he was one of the civil officials who brought the power of letters to the shogunate.

As the shogunate's channel to the imperial court, he played a vital role in enabling warrior government to extend its rule nationwide while cooperating with court society. His involvement in Kyushu as Chinzei bugyo helped lay the groundwork for the shogunate's later control of western Japan. He is remembered as one of the civil officials who supported the founding of the shogunate.