He was a grandson-in-law (with no blood relation) of Yukimori YAMANAKA who was well known as 'Shikanosuke YAMANAKA' and a loyal subject of the Amago clan, Sengoku daimyo (Japanese territorial lord in the Sengoku period) in Sanin region.
山陰の戦国大名尼子氏の忠臣で「山中鹿之助」として著名な山中幸盛の義理の孫にあたる（血のつながりはない）。