Taira (Heike) · Taira (Ise Heishi)
Taira no Tomomori
“The New Middle Counsellor”
Fourth son of Kiyomori. Even after the clan fled the capital he beat the Minamoto at Mizushima and elsewhere and carried the Taira war effort on his own shoulders. At Dan-no-ura he fought hard as supreme commander but was beaten by the turning tide and the defection of an ally. Having watched his clan's end, he is said to have declared, "I have seen all that I needed to see," and gone into the sea with an anchor on his back.
- Epithet
- “The New Middle Counsellor”
- Rank / office
- Middle Counsellor
- Domain / base
- Ise Heishi
- Banner / crest
- Swallowtail butterfly
- Side
- Taira (Heike)
- Lived
- 1152–1185 (aged 34)
I have seen all that I needed to see. Now I shall take my own life.
The Tale of the Heike
Life
- Juei 2 Flight from the Capital Driven out by Kiso Yoshinaka, he fled west with the clan, taking Emperor Antoku with them.
- Juei 3 Battle of Mizushima Beat the Minamoto in the Inland Sea and laid a foothold for the Taira revival.
- Genryaku 2 Dan-no-ura: Into the Sea Fought hard as supreme commander but was defeated. Having seen what he had to see, he shouldered an anchor and sank into the sea.
Battles in this archive2 battles
- Battle of Ichi-no-Tani 7th day of the 2nd month, Juei 3 Ichi-no-Tani, Settsu Province The Taira commander who held the gate at the Ikuta forest firmly against Noriyori's main army. His position broken by the plunge from behind, he withdrew to the sea. Watch ▸
- Battle of Dan-no-ura 24th day of the 3rd month, Genryaku 2 Kanmon Strait, Nagato Province The last Taira commander, who watched his clan's end, said "I have seen all that I needed to see," and sank into the sea shouldering an anchor. Watch ▸
Related sites
- Dan-no-ura battlefield (Shimonoseki)
- Akama Shrine (Shimonoseki)