He was said to be a ji-samurai (low-ranking farmer-samurai) from Ishida-mura, Sakata-gun, Omi-no-kuni (Omi Province) (present day Ishida-cho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture), but there is also a theory that he was Hikan (vassal) of the Kyogoku clan.
近江国坂田郡石田村（滋賀県長浜市石田町）の出身の地侍というが、京極氏の被官とする説もある。