As the legitimate son and heir of the Kawachi-Genji founder MINAMOTO no Yorinobu, he was born in the family mansion in Koroho, located in Tsuboi, Furuichi-gun, Kawachi Province (the modern-day Tsuboi, Habikino City, Osaka Prefecture).
河内源氏初代の源頼信の嫡子として河内国古市郡壷井（現・大阪府羽曳野市壷井）の香炉峰の館に生まれる。