Battle of Yashima (屋島の戦い) was one of the battles of the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself ...

on March 22, 1185 in the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

. It occurred in

Sanuki Province was a province of Japan in the area of northeastern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Sanuki''" in . Sanuki bordered on Awa to the south, and Iyo to the west. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō system, ...

(

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

) which is now

Takamatsu, Kagawa 270px, Takamatsu City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center 270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 414,134 in 190120 households and a popul ...

Background

Following a long string of defeats, the

Taira The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided i ...

clan retreated to Yashima, today's

Takamatsu 270px, Takamatsu City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center 270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 414,134 in 190120 households and a popul ...

, just off the coast of

. Here they had a

fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, and an improvised palace for

Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the Imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Minamoto no Yo ...

and the

imperial regalia The Imperial Regalia, also called Imperial Insignia (in German ''Reichskleinodien'', ''Reichsinsignien'' or ''Reichsschatz''), are regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The most important parts are the Crown, the Imperial orb, the Imperial sc ...

, which they had taken earlier in the war.

Battle

On the 18th, a Minamoto force tried to cross the sea but many of the boats were damaged in a storm.

Kajiwara Kagetoki was a samurai and retainer of the Kamakura Shogunate during the late Heian and early Kamakura period. He was a spy for Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpei War, and a warrior against the Taira clan. He came to be known for his greed and treachery. ...

then suggested adding "reverse oars" to the boats, which prompted an argument from

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...

. Finally after the boats were repaired and despite the high winds, Yoshitsune departed with only five of the 200 boats carrying about 150 of his men. After arriving in Tsubaki Bay, in Awa Province. Yoshitsune then advanced into

through the night reaching the bay with the Imperial Palace at Yashima, and the houses in Mure and

. The

were expecting a naval attack, and so Yoshitsune lit bonfires on

, essentially in their rear, fooling the

into believing that a large force was approaching on land. They abandoned their palace, and took to their ships, along with Emperor Antoku and the imperial regalia. In a memorable account in the ''

Heike monogatari is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yo ...

'', a "very beautiful lady" in a Heike boat, placed a fan atop a pole, and dared the

Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...

to knock it off. In one of the most famous archery feats in all of Japanese history,

Nasu no Yoichi (c. 1169 – c. 1232) was a ''samurai'' who fought alongside the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War. He is particularly famous for his actions at the Battle of Yashima in 1185. According to the ''Heike Monogatari'', the enemy Taira placed a fan at ...

rode out into the sea on horseback, and did just that in one shot. The

were victorious, but the majority of the

fleet escaped to Dan-no-ura, where they were defeated one month later in the Battle of Dan-no-ura.

Gallery

File:Battlefield_of_Yashima.jpg, Location of the battlefield File:Military_expedition_of_Minamoto_no_noriyori.png, Movement of Minamoto forces in blue File:屋島の戦い.png, Battle movement at Yashima File:Battle_of_Yashima_Artwork.jpg,

firing his famous shot at a fan atop the mast of a Taira ship. From a hanging scroll, Watanabe Museum, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. File:Battle-of-Yashima-Genpei-War-1185-Utagawa-Kunisada.png, Battle of Yashima by Utagawa Kunisada

References

{{Authority control 1180s in Japan 1185 in Asia Yashima 1185 Yashima

Background

Battle

Gallery

See also

References