She was born as the second daughter of Koson OTANI, the 21st head abbot of the Nishi Hongwan-ji Temple, in Kyoto (her mother Fujiko, a concubine of Koson, was born into a warrior class family from Kishu Domain).
西本願寺第21代門主・大谷光尊の次女（母・藤子は光尊の側室で紀州藩士族の子女）として京都で生まれる。