Emperor Heizei
In the court of Emperor Heizei, Nakanari's younger sister Kusuko was favored by the emperor, and Nakanari too was valued and boasted political power. Despite this, his treacherous and arbitrary actions made him unpopular. He may also have been involved in the Prince Iyo Incident of 807, in which Heizei's younger brother Prince Iyo was accused of leading a conspiracy and ultimately committed suicide, and after which Nakanari was promoted into more important positions. In 809 he was appointed as of the Hokurikudō, a position roughly equivalent to "sangi", thus joining the ranks of the "kugyō".