He was adopted by MINAMOTO no Atsushi of the Minamoto clan, the son-in-law of MINAMOTO no Mitsunaka of the Settsu-Genji, lived in his mother's hometown of Watanabe, Nishinari County, Settsu Province (present-day Chuo Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture) and he was known as WATANABE no Tsuna, WATANABE no Genjitsuna or Tsuna GENJI, later becoming the patriarch of the Watanabe clan.
摂津源氏の源満仲の娘婿である源氏の源敦の養子となり、母方の里である摂津国西成郡渡辺（現大阪府大阪市中央区(大阪市)）に居住し、渡辺綱（わたなべのつな）、あるいは渡辺源次綱（わたなべのげんじつな）、源次綱（げんじつな）と称し、渡辺氏の祖となる。