He was the sixth son of the eighth Rennyo of Jodo Shinshu sect (the True Pure Land Sect of Buddhism) and Renyu, mother, and had the childhood name of Kotoku and the real personal name of Kanetaka.
浄土真宗の第8世蓮如の6男として、蓮祐を母として産まれ、幼名を光徳といい、諱を兼誉と呼ばれる。