In 834 he was appointed to Kentōshi, but in 838 after a quarrel with the envoy, Fujiwara no Tsunetsugu, he gave up his professional duties pretending to be ill, and attracted the ire of retired Emperor Saga, who sent him to Oki Province.

One of the most singular of these legends is the claim that every night he would climb down a well to hell and help Yama (閻魔大王, enma daiō) in his judgements (裁判, saiban).

One day in the palace of Saga Tennō, someone erected a scroll with the writing "無悪善" (NO EVIL GOODNESS).

In particular, several Samurai names such as Notarō (野太郎), Onota (小野太), Yatarō (弥太郎), Koyata (小弥太) can be traced to Takamura.

11 in Fujiwara no Teika's Ogura Hyakunin Isshu: わたの原 八十島かけて 漕ぎ出でぬと 人には告げよ 海人の釣舟 Wata no hara yaso shima kakete kogi-idenu to hito ni wa tsugeyo ama no tsuri-bune Fishing boats upon this sea!

泣く涙 雨と降らなむ 渡り河 水まさりなば かへり来るがに naku namida ame to furanan watari gawa mizu masarinaba kaeri kuru ga ni Let the tears I cry fall from my face like the rain.