Taira no Kiyomori

In the eleventh century two powerful clans, the Taira and the Minamoto, contended for mastery.

In 1181 Kiyomori, the chief of the Tairas, died, and from that time their fortunes declined.

In 1183 they were forced to flee from Kyoto, carrying with them the infant emperor.

After many hardships and wanderings they camped on the shores of Suma, where they were protected by their fleet.

Early in 1184 the Minamotos attacked and utterly routed them at the Battle of Ichinotani, near the woods of Ikuta.

At this battle fell Atsumori, the nephew of Kiyomori, and his brother Tsunemasa.

When Kumagai, who had slain Atsumori, bent over him to examine the body, he found lying beside him a bamboo flute wrapped in brocade.

He took the flute and gave it to his son.

It's named after the geographical center of power of the Ashikaga, who run this... shogunate here that we've been talking about and rename it the Yamaguchi period because actually medieval Japan the Ashikaga were peanuts they were small fry compared to the Ouchi clan in Yamaguchi over right by Tsushima, the island between Japan and Korea.

They had the best location for a capitalist state and they are another one, you know, after actually Taira no Kiyomori, the anti-hero of the tale of the Heike.

Also, they try to move the capital to the west of Japan and make a capitalist state in an Afro-Asiatic capitalist mode.

How different Japanese history would have been if a Pan-Asianist Japan, Pan-Asianist capitalist Japan had been born then.

Very cool.

Very close to the capital as well.

Close to where Taira no Kiyomori tried to start his capitalist state in modern-day Kobe.

right just across the water there from that and But the larger mythological landscape of this story Encompasses ancient Japan in the earliest time that there are like stories from it and and stories of like figures in particular clans and stuff that's not not super mythological ie the Fujiwara clan It's really centered on the Fujiwara clan and their shrine of Kasuga shrine, Kasuga Taisha, Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara City today.

Thus the tale of the realm of the isles goes on till the great war of the twelfth century, when the Buki, or knights-at-arms, of the house of He, or Taira, and the house of Gen, or Minamoto, fell out in a great strife and brought on the worst home war Japan has known.

It was the Taira clan, led by Kiyomori, who won in this war; and he was the first Shogun, or general, as we would say, who got the might of the throne out of the hands of the Mikado, or his regent of Fujiwara blood, and made that great change in the form of rule by which ere long the Emperor came to stand at the head of the realm in naught but name and as the chief of all priests and monks in the faith; while some chief-at-arms in the post of the great Shogun was at the head of state as well as all the troops, and had charge of the realm in peace as much as in war.

The great strife and the change of rule that marks this time as one of much note in the past of Japan came to pass in this way.

As the Mikado’s sway had grown weak, and the Hugi and the Buki had grown more strong, each came to have a great deal of ill-will for the other, and each had a wish to be first in the realm and to get the Mikado in its own hands.

At last a cause was found to bring them to strife, which was the claims of two princes to the throne.

It was clear that the side which won and made its prince the Mikado would hold first rank in his realm, and they fought in a long, hard strife for the prize.

The chief who led the side that won at last was Kiyomori of the Taira race.

He was a young man who had been full of fire and life, and thirst for fame from the time he was a small boy.

In the 11th century two powerful clans, the Taira and the Minamoto, contended for mastery.

In 1181 Kiyomori, the chief of the Tairas, died, and from that time their fortunes declined.

In 1183 they were forced to flee from Kyoto, carrying with them the infant emperor.

After many hardships and wanderings they camped on the shores of Suma, where they were protected by their fleet.

Early in 1184 the Minamotos attacked and utterly routed them at the battle of Ichinatani, near the woods of Ikuta.

At this battle fell Atsumori, the nephew of Kiyomori, and his brother Tsunemasa.

When Kumagai, who had slain Atsumori, bent over him to examine the body, he found lying beside him a bamboo flute wrapped in brocade.

He took the flute and gave it to his son.