Battle of Ichi-no-Tani
Ichi-no-Tani, Settsu Province, west of present-day Kobe, Japan
What happened
Minamoto forces under Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Minamoto no Noriyori fought the Taira clan, whose leaders included Taira no Tadanori and Taira no Shigehira. In the Genpei War between two great samurai clans, the Taira held a fortress on a narrow strip of shore between the mountains and the sea. Noriyori attacked from one side near Ikuta Shrine, while Yoshitsune led a small group of horsemen down from the ridge to the north. The Taira were thrown into confusion, and many escaped by sea to Yashima.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a crucial defeat for the Taira in the Genpei War. Its stories became some of the best known in Japanese literature and theatre.
What came next
The surviving Taira fled to Yashima.
Did you know?
The young Taira warrior Atsumori died here; the Minamoto samurai Kumagai Naozane, who killed him, later became a Buddhist monk, and the story is told in the noh play 'Atsumori'.
Timeline
- 1169Taira no Atsumori is born.
- 20 March 1184The Minamoto win at Ichi-no-Tani.
- 1184The surviving Taira escape to Yashima.