Ryūzōji Tanehisa served as a bushō during the Sengoku period.

Tanehisa was born as the second son of Ryūzōji Iekazu, the fifteenth head of the Ryūzōji clan and a kokujin, or provincial landowner, in Hizen Province.

He received one of the characters in his name from Chiba Tanekatsu of the Kyūshū-Chiba clan, a powerful daimyō in Hizen, and adopted the name of Tanehisa.

Tanehisa’s older brother, Ryūzōji Tanekazu, died early so Tanehisa wed Tanekazu’s widow, Gashōin, and inherited the headship of the clan.

Tanehisa received the support of Ryūzōji Iekane, his uncle and the most senior elder in the Mizugae-Ryūzōji cadet family, but Iekane held the real authority so his role was akin to a puppet head of the clan.  Under the influence of the Chiba and Shōni clans, in 1530, he participated in the Battle of Tadenawate but Iekane and others led during the action.