In April of 1183, the Taira clan dispatched a punitive force to the Hokuriku region.
Due to the effects of famine up until the previous year, large-scale military operations had not progressed as planned.
In Hokuriku, forces not aligned with the Taira were increasing, and the influence of Minamoto no Yoshinaka, based in Shinano, was extending into Echizen, Kaga, and Etchu.
The Taira could not afford to leave Hokuriku unchecked.
On April 9th, prayers were conducted at Ise Grand Shrine and 16 other shrines for the subjugation of Hokuriku.
According to the “Heike Monogatari,” on the 17th, Taira no Koremori, Taira no Michimori, Taira no Tomomori, Taira no Tsunemasa, Taira no Kiyofusa, and Taira no Yukimori departed from Kyoto.
The military chronicles record a force of 100,000 cavalry.
Of course, this number of 100,000 cavalry departing from Kyoto cannot be confirmed as an actual figure.
The “Gyokuyou” also records the movements for the Hokuriku campaign, confirming that the Taira embarked on a large-scale military operation, sending out their clan’s generals.
On April 26th, news reached Kyoto that the Taira forces had invaded Echizen.
The following day.
Hiuchi Castle, built in southern Echizen, fell.
The fall of the castle was not solely due to the attacking Taira forces.
One of the key figures on the defensive side had colluded with the Taira from within the castle.
That person was Saimyo, the chief priest of Heisen-ji Temple.
Saimyo, Who Defeated the Taira in Echizen in 1181
Saimyo is not a figure who suddenly appeared in history in 1183.
Two years earlier, in September of 1181, he had also appeared in a battle that took place in Echizen.
At that time, the Taira had sent Taira no Michimori to Echizen to suppress the anti-Taira forces spreading in Hokuriku.
On September 2nd, “Gyokuyou” records rumors that the rebellious forces in Hokuriku were active, and Michimori could not pacify the area north of Kaga, with some in Echizen not obeying orders.
On the 4th, “Azuma Kagami” reports that Nei Taro, considered the vanguard of Yoshinaka’s forces, fought Michimori’s army near Suizu.
On the 6th, the situation changed dramatically.
Inazuma no Sanemasa of Echizen and Saimyo, the chief priest of Heisen-ji, defected from the Taira side.
According to “Hyakurensho” and “Kikki,” this defection led to the defeat of Michimori’s forces.
Michimori retreated to Tsuruga and sought reinforcements.
Saimyo originally belonged to the Taira side.
He then shifted to the anti-Taira side, only to return to the Taira at Hiuchi Castle two years later.
This movement was influenced by the position of Heisen-ji Temple itself.
Heisen-ji: A Center of Hakusan Faith
Heisen-ji Temple was located in Ono District, Echizen Province, present-day Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture.
It developed as a base for pilgrimages to Hakusan from the Echizen side and grew into a significant temple power from the 10th century onward.
By the late Heian period, its ties with the samurai had deepened, and the temple housed military forces.
According to the “History of Fukui Prefecture,” Saimyo was from the Kawai branch of the Saito clan, which held power in Echizen.
At Heisen-ji, the Saito clan produced chief priests, intertwining the temple’s influence with that of local warriors.
In 1181, when Saimyo left the Taira clan, and again in 1183 when he rejoined them, it was not merely a capricious monk changing allegiances on a whim.
In Echizen, amidst ongoing civil strife, warriors and temple factions were choosing their path between the Taira and Yoshinaka sides while safeguarding their own bases.
By April 1183, Saimyo had entered Hiuchi Castle.
Hiuchi Castle—The Route from Echizen to Kaga
The ruins of Hiuchi Castle are located in present-day Minami-Echizen Town, Fukui Prefecture.
It sits at the tip of a ridge extending east from Mount Fujikura, with the summit at an elevation of about 268 meters.
The elevation difference from the Imajo settlement is approximately 140 meters.
The Hino River basin spreads out below the mountain.
When forces entering from the south advanced northward into Echizen, this area became a crucial passageway.
Imajo later flourished as a post town on the Hokuriku Kaido.
The ‘Heike Monogatari’ notes that although Minamoto no Yoshinaka was in Shinano, he established Hiuchi Castle in Echizen.
The castle was held by Saimyo, the head priest of Heisenji, along with Inazu Shinsuke Sanesumi, Saito Ta, Hayashi Rokuro Mitsuaki, Togashi Nyudo Butsusei, Tsuchida, Takebe, Miyazaki, Ishikuro, Nyusen, and Sami.
The names include not only warriors from Echizen but also from Kaga, Etchu, and Noto.
The Kakuichibon ‘Heike Monogatari’ records their strength as over 6,000 horsemen.
The ‘Enkyobon Heike Monogatari’ gives a figure of over 5,000 horsemen, showing discrepancies in numbers across different texts.
The actual number is unknown.
Nevertheless, it is clear that Hiuchi Castle is not described as a minor siege within Echizen alone.
Military chronicles depict it as a gathering point for anti-Taira forces from across the Hokuriku region.
Creating a Water Defense in Front of the Castle
One well-known aspect of the Battle of Hiuchi Castle is the use of water for defense.
According to the ‘Heike Monogatari’, two rivers, the Nomigawa and Shindogawa, flowed in front of the castle.
The defenders piled large stones and cut down trees to create a barricade at the confluence of the two rivers, building a fence.
The river flow was dammed.
Water spread to the foot of the mountain, turning the area in front of the castle into a lake-like expanse.
The Taira forces could not easily cross and remained camped on the opposite mountain.
The ‘Heike Monogatari’ beautifully describes even the reflection of the mountains on the water’s surface.
This is not a contemporary military report but a scene from a later military tale.
Based solely on the current topography, it is impossible to reconstruct the extent of the water coverage or its depth in April 1183.
The tradition of damming the rivers in front of the castle to block the path remains a significant scene in the Hiuchi battle as recounted in the ‘Heike Monogatari’ and the ‘Genpei Seisuiki’.
This water-based defense is also highlighted in the history of Fukui Prefecture.
The Taira forces halted before it.
It was then that Saimyo took action.
A Letter Sent from Within the Castle
In the ‘Heike Monogatari’, Saimyo is portrayed as someone who had a longstanding friendly relationship with the Taira clan.
Saimei placed a letter detailing the situation inside the castle and the mechanism for damming the water into a toad-eye arrow and shot it into the Taira camp.
The letter explained that the water in front of the castle was not a natural lake but had been temporarily dammed from a river.
At night, if the barrier was cut, the water would recede.
Once that happened, crossing would be possible, and he would assist from within the castle.
The account in the ‘Heike Monogatari’ roughly follows this narrative.
The Taira forces waited for nightfall and sent men to destroy the dam.
The water began to recede.
By the next morning, it was shallow enough for horses to cross, and the Taira army advanced on Hiuchi Castle, the story continues.
The fact that Saimei placed a secret letter in the arrow and detailed the method for cutting the dam is a vivid depiction left by the military chronicles.
Meanwhile, the basic fact that Hiuchi Castle fell due to Saimei’s betrayal is recorded in more concise records.
The ‘Fukui Prefecture History’ timeline, based on sources like the ‘Hyakurensho,’ states that on April 27, 1183, the Taira forces captured Hiuchi Castle and Kawakami Castle due to the betrayal of Saimei, the chief priest of Heisenji.
By comparing the battle details in the ‘Heike Monogatari’ with the dates and basic facts from other sources, the outline of what happened at Hiuchi Castle becomes clear.
On April 27, Hiuchi Castle fell.
The Hokuriku Forces Lose Their Castle
The forces defending Hiuchi Castle abandoned it.
According to the ‘Heike Monogatari,’ the surviving soldiers retreated to Kaga and entered the Hakusan River Valley.
The Taira forces also captured Kawakami Castle on the same day.
The defensive line in the southern part of Echizen crumbled.
The Taira advanced northward.
On May 2, led by Saimei, they departed from Nagau Castle and launched an attack on Kaga, as recorded in the ‘Genpei Seisuiki.’
It had been about a year and a half since Taira no Tomomori’s defeat in Echizen in 1181.
The Taira had once again passed through Echizen and were advancing their forces into Kaga.
Judging solely by the immediate victory at Hiuchi Castle, the forces pursuing the Hokuriku Road were advancing smoothly.
Minamoto no Yoshinaka had yet to appear for a decisive battle against the main Taira forces.
Yoshinaka Was in Shinano
The ‘Heike Monogatari’ notes that at the time of Hiuchi Castle, Yoshinaka himself was in Shinano.
Those holed up in Hiuchi Castle were forces from various parts of Hokuriku, including Echizen, Kaga, Etchu, and Noto.
After the Battle of Yokota River, local samurai and temple forces opposed to the Taira were active from Shinano to Echigo and further into Hokuriku.
Yoshinaka expanded his military power in Hokuriku by allying with these forces.
Names like Togashi, Ishikuro, Miyazaki, and Nyūzen, associated with Hiuchi Castle, were samurai based in various parts of Hokuriku.
With the Taira forces capturing Hiuchi Castle and advancing into Kaga, the time was approaching for a full-scale confrontation between the Hokuriku forces and the Taira army.
The Taira Forces Enter Kaga
After passing through Echizen, the Taira forces continued to advance northward.
According to the ‘History of Fukui Prefecture,’ guided by Saimyo, the Taira army moved through Echizen, expanded their influence into Kaga and southern Noto, and pushed towards the Kaga-Etchu border while defeating the vanguard troops of Yoshinaka’s side.
The ‘Tale of the Heike’ recounts that on May 8, the gathered forces near Shinohara in Kaga were split into two groups.
One group headed towards the Tonami Mountains.
The other group moved towards the border of Noto and Etchu.
Here again, large numbers like “70,000 cavalry” and “30,000 cavalry” appear, but these should be read as the numbers typically indicated in war chronicles.
The path of the Taira forces was clear.
They entered Kaga from Echizen, aiming for Etchu beyond.
Yoshinaka also began to move.
From Hiuchi Castle to Kurikara
On April 27, the Taira forces captured Hiuchi Castle and, within about half a month, passed through Kaga and reached the border with Etchu.
At Hiuchi Castle, Saimyo, who was on the defensive side, colluded with the Taira, opening the way for them.
The Taira continued their northward advance with this momentum.
May 11.
In the mountains of the Tonami range connecting Kaga and Etchu, the Taira forces clashed with the army of Minamoto no Yoshinaka.
This was the Battle of Kurikara Pass.
The loss of Hiuchi Castle did not mean that Yoshinaka’s side crumbled and vanished from the Hokuriku region.
Having broken through Echizen, the Taira forces pursued their enemies deeper into Hokuriku.
The ensuing battle with Yoshinaka’s forces, which awaited them there, would significantly alter the war situation in Hokuriku, which had leaned towards the Taira just two weeks prior.
