About the Battle of Kurikara
The Battle of Kurikara was fought in 1183 (11th day of the 5th month, Juei 2) at Mount Tonami, on the Etchū–Kaga border. Minamoto no Yoshinaka meets the great army of Taira no Koremori, marching down the Hokuriku road, at a mountain pass on Tonami. A night attack from three sides and the "fire oxen" stratagem send the Taira tumbling into the ravine. The overture to the Taira flight from the capital.
- Year
- 118311th day of the 5th month, Juei 2
- Place
- Mount Tonami, on the Etchū–Kaga border
- Era
- Late Heian period
The two armies
Taira (Heike) Commander-in-chiefTaira no Koremori 54,0004 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 54,000
Fought 10,000
Taira (Heike)By troop strength
- Taira no Koremori 平維盛 Commander-in-chief 30,000
- Taira no Michimori 平通盛 10,000
- Taira no Tamemori 平為盛 8,000
- Taira no Moritoshi 平盛俊 6,000
Minamoto (Genji)By troop strength
- Minamoto no Yoshinaka 木曽義仲 Commander-in-chief 5,000
- Imai Kanehira 今井兼平 2,000
- Higuchi Kanemitsu 樋口兼光 2,000
- Tomoe Gozen 巴御前 1,000
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- NoonCh. 1
StandoffFacing Off on Mount Tonami
In the 5th month of Juei 2, a great Taira army under Taira no Koremori marched down the Hokuriku road and camped at Saru-ga-baba on Mount Tonami, on the border with Etchū. Minamoto no Yoshinaka, waiting to meet them, set his headquarters at Hanyū to the south-east. He had thirty white banners raised on the heights above the pass, so that it looked as if a great host lay in wait.
- DuskCh. 2
DuskTrading Arrows, Buying Time
Yoshinaka kept the Taira in the mountains rather than let them descend to the plain, and waited for nightfall. The two armies traded arrows and skirmished, and the Taira, believing they faced a great army, did not move. Yoshinaka offered a written prayer at the Hanyū Hachiman shrine for the success of his night attack.
- NightCh. 3
NightCreeping In from Three Sides
By night Yoshinaka split his army. Higuchi Kanemitsu circled by the northern mountain paths to Matsunaga, in the Taira rear; Imai Kanehira swung north toward Hinomiya; Tomoe and Nei Yukichika went into the hills to the south. The Taira camp was quietly enveloped on three sides, and the only way left open was the ravine to the south.
- MidnightCh. 4
Fire OxenThe Fire-Oxen Stratagem
At the hour of the Rat, Yoshinaka had torches tied to the horns of several hundred oxen and drove them all at once into the Taira camp. A herd of flame tore through the darkness, and conch shells and war cries rose on every side. Shaken from sleep, the Taira, 40,000 strong, believed themselves surrounded and fell into panic.
- Small hoursCh. 5
RavineInto the Valley
Enemies ahead and behind: the only way out was the ravine to the south. In the dark the Taira warriors stampeded into it and fell "horse upon horse, man upon man." The Kurikara valley filled with the dead and was afterwards called the Valley of Hell. Taira no Tamemori and many other commanders lost their lives.
- Before dawnCh. 6
PursuitKoremori Flees to Kaga
As the sky paled, Yoshinaka drove the remaining Taira down off the pass. The commander-in-chief Koremori escaped to Kaga with a handful of attendants, and the Taira northern army had dissolved in a single night.
- DawnCh. 7
To KyotoOverture to the Flight from the Capital
Riding his momentum, Yoshinaka beat the Taira again at Shinohara and raced up the Hokuriku road toward the capital. Two months later, in the 7th month, the Taira fled Kyoto with the child emperor Antoku. The night on Kurikara pass had turned the tide of the Genpei War.
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 Kurikara?
Minamoto no Yoshinaka meets the great army of Taira no Koremori, marching down the Hokuriku road, at a mountain pass on Tonami. A night attack from three sides and the "fire oxen" stratagem send the Taira tumbling into the ravine. The overture to the Taira flight from the capital.
When and where did the Battle of Kurikara take place?
It took place in 1183 at Mount Tonami, on the Etchū–Kaga border (11th day of the 5th month, Juei 2).
Who fought in the Battle of Kurikara?
Minamoto no Yoshinaka of the Minamoto (Genji), Taira no Koremori of the Taira (Heike) were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Kurikara 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.
Update history of this battle
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