He was from Koga County of Omi Province; His family was a branch of the Yamanaka family which was one of 21 Koga families (the branch family had been split up in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts).
近江国甲賀郡の出で、甲賀二十一家の山中氏の庶流（南北朝時代に分かれている）。