While most provinces were overseen by just a Governor, Mutsu, in what is now the Tohoku region, had a military general in charge of controlling the Emishi natives, who had been subjugated when the Japanese took over the area in the ninth century.
In 1050, the general overseeing the Emishi was Abe no Yoritoki, who levied taxes and confiscated property on his own, rarely paying any heed to the wishes of the province's Governor.
[3] The fighting lasted for twelve years, or nine if one subtracts short periods of ceasefire and peace.
[3][4][5] The government forces, led by the Minamoto, had much trouble for quite some time, due to the harsh terrain and weather, but were eventually reinforced with new troops, including many offered by the Governor, a member of the Kiyohara clan, of the nearby Dewa Province.
Yoshiie said, Koromo no tate wa hokorobinikeri, Koromo Castle has been destroyed ("The warps of your robe have come undone"), to which Sadato replied, toshi o heshi ito no midare no kurushisa ni, "over the years its threads became tangled, and this pains me.