Born to the Sakanoue clan, of continental immigrant descent, as son of Sakanoue no Karitamaro. Appointed Sei-i Taishōgun in 797, he held near-total authority over Tōhoku as concurrent inspector of Mutsu and Dewa and commander of the Chinjufu garrison. In 801 he led a large army to subdue the Emishi. The following year he built Isawa Castle and accepted the surrender of Emishi leaders Aterui and More, pleading for their lives, but the court had them executed. In 803 he was dispatched to Mutsu Province as "Envoy for Building Shiwa Castle," constructing the fortress near the confluence of the Kitakami and Shizukuishi rivers and extending imperial rule north of the Kitakami.

A general whose martial prowess was matched by compassion for the defeated.

The archetypal Sei-i Taishōgun, who laid the foundations of Tōhoku governance.