Originally a merchant from Sakai, he became a famous disciple of Sen no Rikyū and wrote the chronicle Yamanoue Sōji ki (山上宗二記), which gives commentary about Rikyū's teachings and the state of chanoyu at the time of its writing.
The clan however fell from power after their opposition to lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the Siege of Odawara (1590).
Yamanoue Sōji was sentenced by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to have his ears and nose cut off and was then decapitated.
"Jocular Fellow") is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Yamada.
It was adapted into an anime series in 2011, and includes a fictionalized depiction of Yamanoue Sōji's life and execution.