About the Battle of Dan-no-ura
The Battle of Dan-no-ura was fought in 1185 (24th day of the 3rd month, Genryaku 2) at Kanmon Strait, Nagato Province. Red and white fleets collide in the Kanmon Strait in the last battle of the Genpei War. The tide turns, a defection follows, and the Taira sink beneath the waves with the child emperor.
- Year
- 118524th day of the 3rd month, Genryaku 2
- Place
- Kanmon Strait, Nagato Province
- Era
- Late Heian period
The two armies
Taira (Heike) Commander-in-chiefTaira no Tomomori 14,8005 units 
Minamoto (Genji) Commander-in-chiefMinamoto no Yoshitsune 47,0004 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 11,000Defected 3,000Did not fight 800
Fought 17,000Did not fight 30,000
Taira (Heike)By troop strength
- Taira no Tomomori 平知盛 Commander-in-chief 5,000
-
Taira no Noritsune 平教経 3,000 - Yamaga Hidetō 山鹿秀遠 3,000
- Taguchi Shigeyoshi 田口成良 Defected 3,000
- Imperial Ship (Emperor Antoku) 御座船(安徳帝) Did not fight 800
Minamoto (Genji)By troop strength
-
Minamoto no Noriyori 源範頼 Did not fight 30,000 - Minamoto no Yoshitsune 源義経 Commander-in-chief 8,000
- Kumano Navy (Tanzō) 熊野水軍(湛増) 6,000
- Kōno Navy (Michinobu) 河野水軍(通信) 3,000
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- 8:00 AMCh. 1
StraitThe Kanmon Strait
The 24th day of the 3rd month, Genryaku 2. The last battlefield of the Genpei War is the swift-flowing Hayatomo narrows. Five hundred Taira ships against 840 of the Minamoto. On land, Noriyori's 30,000 seal the Kyushu shore, and the Taira have nowhere left to retreat.
- 8:30 AMCh. 2
AttackThe Taira Ride the Tide
In the morning the tide runs east through the strait. Masters of naval warfare, the Taira attack with the current behind them. The fleets of Tomomori and Noritsune push the Minamoto back, and the archery duel goes in the Taira's favour.
- 10:00 AMCh. 3
FoulShoot the Oarsmen
Hard pressed, Yoshitsune gives an order that breaks the code of war: "Shoot the rowers and helmsmen." Stripped of their oarsmen, the Taira ships become mere targets drifting on the tide.
- 11:00 AMCh. 4
TideThe Tide Turns
At midday the current in the strait reverses to the west. Now it is the Minamoto who have the tide at their backs. Eight hundred and forty ships push back all at once, and the battle turns over minute by minute.
- 12:00 PMCh. 5
TurnTaguchi Raises the White Banner
Taguchi Shigeyoshi, commanding 300 ships of the Awa navy, suddenly raises the white banner. The Taira formation collapses from within, and even the whereabouts of Emperor Antoku's ship is betrayed to the enemy.
- 1:00 PMCh. 6
NoritsuneThe End of Noritsune
Taira no Noritsune, the greatest archer in the land, closes on Yoshitsune's ship. But Yoshitsune escapes by leaping from ship to ship, eight boats in all: the famous "eight-boat leap." Noritsune seizes two Minamoto warriors in his arms and vanishes into the sea.
- 2:00 PMCh. 7
WavesA Capital Beneath the Waves
The Nun of the Second Rank takes the eight-year-old Emperor Antoku in her arms and enters the sea, saying, "There is a capital beneath the waves too." Tomomori follows, shouldering an anchor: "I have seen all that I needed to see." The Taira, who had gloried in their splendour, perish at Dan-no-ura.
In Ultra detailBattle Pass
The same scene in the standard quality and in Ultra detail. Drag the line to compare, and switch between "Wide" and "Close-up". Ultra detail adds rugged mountains, forests and rocks in 3D, rippling seas and rivers, rows in the fields and soldiers as figures. Chapter 1 of every battle can be watched in Ultra detail without the Battle Pass.
FAQ
What was the Battle of Dan-no-ura?
Red and white fleets collide in the Kanmon Strait in the last battle of the Genpei War. The tide turns, a defection follows, and the Taira sink beneath the waves with the child emperor.
When and where did the Battle of Dan-no-ura take place?
It took place in 1185 at Kanmon Strait, Nagato Province (24th day of the 3rd month, Genryaku 2).
Who fought in the Battle of Dan-no-ura?
Minamoto no Yoshitsune of the Minamoto (Genji), Taira no Tomomori of the Taira (Heike) were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 3D?
Yes. This page plays a free three-minute 3D animated overview showing the deployments, the movements of each army and how the battle was decided.