Tanetsugu held various positions as a provincial governor, as well as civil and military roles, and was steadily promoted through the ranks, reaching ju shi-i no ge (従四位下) in 781.
His appointment may have had the backing of his mother's family, the Hata clan, whose base of operations in Yamashiro Province was near the new capital site.
Ōtomo no Yakamochi, who had died a month before the incident, was identified as the ringleader and removed from the register of past officials.
A number of the officials involved in the assassination, including Takanari, were employed in the Crown Prince's Quarters.
This incident, along with the fear of Sawara's vengeful ghost, contributed to the decision to move the capital again to Heian-kyō a short time later.
Tanetsugu's final rank was shō san-mi (正三位), and he held the positions of chūnagon and director of the Shikibu-shō.