He was born in Hosokawa no sho, Miki-gun (Mino-gun), Harima Province (the current Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture) which was the territory of the Shimo-Reizei family.
生れは、下冷泉家の所領であった播磨国三木郡（美嚢郡）細川庄（現兵庫県三木市）。