On November 11, 1180, the three-year-old Emperor Antoku entered the new imperial palace at Fukuhara.
It had already been five months since leaving Kyoto. The emperor first took refuge at the residence of Taira no Yorimori, as the new palace was not yet constructed. By the time the palace was finally completed, Minamoto no Yoritomo was rallying troops in the eastern provinces, Minamoto no Yoshinaka was on the move in Shinano, and the Taira forces had retreated from the Fuji River.
The man who pushed forward with this new capital was Taira no Kiyomori, at the age of 63.
About half a century earlier, in 1129, a 12-year-old boy had entered official service. That boy, who survived the Hogen and Heiji Rebellions, rose to the position of Grand Minister of State in 1167.
He married his daughter Tokuko to Emperor Takakura as Empress, and through the enthronement of their son, Emperor Antoku, he became the emperor’s maternal grandfather.
The Taira clan produced many court nobles and provincial governors, spreading their influence through provinces and estates in the western regions. They offered magnificent sutras to Itsukushima Shrine, renovated the port of Owada to support trade with the Song dynasty, and gathered their residences in Fukuhara.
Kiyomori’s achievements were substantial.
Yet, the changes in his final years were dramatic.
In 1179, he lost his eldest son, Shigemori, and four months later, he led thousands of troops into Kyoto to end the cloistered rule of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa. The following year, in 1180, Prince Mochihito and Minamoto no Yorimasa raised an army, followed by Yoritomo and Yoshinaka.
The relocation to Fukuhara, which began in June, was completed by November, and by December, the attack on Nanto resulted in the burning of the halls and pagodas of Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji.
Then, on February 4, 1181, Kiyomori passed away without seeing the outcome of the internal conflict. He was 64 years old.
In “The Tale of the Heike,” Kiyomori is depicted as the personification of the “arrogant Taira.” However, his actual journey was far more complex. From a young age, he served the cloistered emperors, climbed the ranks of the court, and deeply embedded himself within the aristocratic society. Using this system to expand his power, Kiyomori eventually reached a point where he could reorganize court appointments through military might.
What transpired during this time?
Born in 1118 as the son of Taira no Tadamori
Taira no Kiyomori was born in 1118. His father was Taira no Tadamori, and his grandfather was Taira no Masamori.
This family belonged to the Ise Taira, a branch of the Kanmu Heishi, which had expanded its influence by serving the Retired Emperor Shirakawa since the time of Masamori.
In 1101, Taira no Masamori gained fame by subduing Minamoto no Yoshichika, and Taira no Tadamori served as a provincial governor in the western regions under Emperor Toba. By the time Taira no Kiyomori was born, the Taira clan had already established a foothold both in the cloistered government of Kyoto and along the Seto Inland Sea.
A significant mystery surrounds Kiyomori’s birth, one that has persisted through the ages.
There is a theory that he was an illegitimate child of Emperor Shirakawa.
The “Tale of the Heike” contains a birth story involving the favored Gion consort of Emperor Shirakawa, and the 13th-century “Butsushari Sōjō Keizu” also records that the sister of the Gion consort became pregnant with Emperor Shirakawa’s child, and this woman was given to Tadamori, who then fathered Kiyomori.
On the other hand, genealogies also suggest that his mother was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tamechika. There are no contemporary records to confirm that Emperor Shirakawa was indeed his biological father.
The “Chūyūki” from 1120 mentions the death of Tadamori’s wife, who was close to Emperor Shirakawa, and some theories connect this woman to Kiyomori’s mother. The theory of illegitimacy cannot be dismissed as mere fiction from the “Tale of the Heike,” yet it cannot be definitively proven as fact either.
What is certain is that Tadamori’s family had close ties with the cloistered governments of Emperor Shirakawa and Emperor Toba.
In 1129, Kiyomori was appointed to the junior fifth rank, lower grade, and became a left guard officer at the age of 12.
This marked the beginning of Kiyomori’s official career, which would continue until he was over 60 years old.
The Western Connections Inherited from Tadamori
Kiyomori’s early years overlapped with the activities of his father, Tadamori.
In 1135, Tadamori distinguished himself by suppressing pirates in the western regions, and as a reward, Kiyomori was promoted to the junior fourth rank, lower grade, at the age of 18. In 1137, he became the governor of Higo, and in 1146, the governor of Aki.
Higo is in Kyushu, and Aki faces the western part of the Seto Inland Sea.
Tadamori also served as a provincial governor in western regions such as Bizen and Harima, deeply involving himself in the transportation routes from the Seto Inland Sea to Kyushu. Kiyomori inherited and expanded these connections and economic foundations.
As governor of Aki, Kiyomori formed a strong connection with Itsukushima Shrine.
In 1164, the Taira clan dedicated the “Heike Nōkyō,” a set of 33 scrolls centered on the Lotus Sutra, to Itsukushima Shrine.
The scrolls, adorned with gold and silver, and rich in paintings and craftsmanship, remain a national treasure today.
Kiyomori’s prayer document bears the date of September 1164, providing solid evidence of his devotion to Itsukushima.
Major construction of the shrine buildings took place in 1168. Reports from the shrine priest, Saeki Kagehiro, indicate that the scale of the shrine buildings was expanded, and part of the roof was changed to cypress bark thatching.
This construction was strongly supported by Kiyomori, laying the foundation for the current layout of Itsukushima Shrine.
The Taira clan’s power did not grow solely through military might.
They entered the western regions as provincial governors, engaged with temples and shrines, and controlled maritime traffic.
The wealth they acquired was linked to their official ranks in Kyoto and the activities of their clan.
The movements that began to take shape during Tadamori’s time grew even larger in Kiyomori’s era.
Meanwhile, at the age of 30, Kiyomori also experienced a significant failure in Kyoto.
The 1147 Gion Shrine Incident and Calls for Exile
In June 1147, Kiyomori attempted to dedicate a dengaku performance to Gion Shrine, known today as Yasaka Shrine.
At that moment, Kiyomori’s retainers clashed with the shrine officials of Gion Shrine. The conflict arose over the armed retainers entering the shrine grounds, resulting in arrows striking the shrine buildings and injuries being reported, according to contemporary sources.
Gion Shrine was a subordinate shrine of Enryakuji Temple. Mount Hiei strongly opposed this, demanding punishment for Kiyomori and his father, Tadamori. The court even debated exile, while the Enryakuji side attempted to exert pressure by moving the sacred palanquin.
In the “Tale of the Heike,” there is a strong impression that Kiyomori himself shot arrows at the palanquin, but from records like “Honcho Seiki” and “Taiki,” it is clear that the disturbance was caused by Kiyomori’s retainers.
Tadamori handed over the culprits, and Kiyomori was ultimately fined 30 kin of copper. He was not driven out of Kyoto.
What Kiyomori witnessed in this incident was the political power wielded by large temples. The act of carrying the sacred palanquin could sway the court’s personnel decisions and judgments, pushing even the heir of a samurai family to the brink of exile.
Over 30 years later, Kiyomori would mobilize forces against Onjoji and Kofukuji. At the root of this long-standing relationship was the incident at Gion Shrine.
In the third year of Ninpei (1153), his father Tadamori passed away at the age of 58. At the age of 36 by traditional Japanese count, Kiyomori took on the leadership of his clan.
The Heiji Rebellion and the Hogen Rebellion: Kiyomori Advances to the Center of Kyoto’s Samurai Society
Three years after Tadamori’s death, the Hogen Rebellion broke out in Kyoto.
In July of the first year of Hogen (1156), following the death of Emperor Toba, the conflict between Emperor Sutoku and Emperor Go-Shirakawa, as well as between Fujiwara no Yorinaga and Fujiwara no Tadamichi, escalated into armed confrontation.
Kiyomori joined the side of Emperor Go-Shirakawa, where he was allied with Minamoto no Yoshitomo.
Kiyomori’s uncle, Taira no Tadamasa, joined the side of Emperor Sutoku.
Within the Minamoto clan, Yoshitomo’s father, Tameyoshi, and brother, Tametomo, sided with Sutoku.
This was a battle that split the imperial family, the Fujiwara regents, and the samurai clans into two factions.
With the victory of Go-Shirakawa’s side, Tadamasa was executed. Yoshitomo was also ordered to execute his father, Tameyoshi.
Even for the victorious samurai, there were heavy consequences to deal with afterward.
After the war, Kiyomori became the governor of Harima. Harima, located in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea, was a strategic location connecting Kyoto to the western provinces, further strengthening Kiyomori’s base in the western regions following Higo and Aki.
In December of Heiji 1 (1159), three years later, the Hogen Rebellion ally Minamoto no Yoshitomo turned against him.
While Kiyomori was away from Kyoto on a pilgrimage to Kumano, Fujiwara no Nobuyori and Yoshitomo mobilized their forces.
Shinsei was killed, and both Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Emperor Nijo were seized.
Upon receiving the news, Kiyomori returned to Kyoto and waited for an opportunity to counterattack from Rokuhara.
The escape of Emperor Nijo was a significant turning point.
The emperor left Nobuyori and Yoshitomo’s side and entered Kiyomori’s Rokuhara.
Emperor Go-Shirakawa also moved to Ninna-ji, leaving Nobuyori’s faction without both the emperor and the retired emperor.
Kiyomori, acting as the military power of the court, launched a counterattack and drove Yoshitomo out of Kyoto.
Yoshitomo was killed in Owari while heading to the eastern provinces, and his eldest son, Yoshihira, was captured and executed.
The 13-year-old Yoritomo was spared and exiled to Izu.
After the Heiji Rebellion, there were few warrior factions in Kyoto that could rival Kiyomori’s power.
Kiyomori’s own position also underwent a significant change.
At 50, Appointed Chancellor of the Realm—A Warrior Reaches the Pinnacle of Court Society
After the Heiji Rebellion, Kiyomori’s rise was swift.
In Eiryaku 1 (1160), he was appointed to the court as a Senior Third Rank Councillor, and after serving as Acting Middle Counselor and Acting Major Counselor, he advanced to Minister of the Interior in Ninan 1 (1166).
The following year, on February 11, Ninan 2 (1167), he became Chancellor of the Realm at the age of 50.
There was no precedent for a warrior to be appointed Chancellor of the Realm.
However, his tenure as Chancellor lasted only about three months.
Kiyomori resigned in May and, in February of Ninan 3 (1168), fell seriously ill and took Buddhist vows, adopting the name Jokai.
It was believed to be a deathbed ordination, but he later recovered.
Even after leaving office, his influence did not wane.
In fact, Kiyomori continued to wield power by managing the ranks, domains, marriages, and retainers of his family.
During this period, he increasingly spent time in Fukuhara, Settsu Province, around present-day Hirano in Hyogo Ward, Kobe City.
According to the organization of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History, around the spring of 1169, Taira no Kiyomori made Fukuhara his main residence, traveling to Kyoto only for important matters.
About 2.5 kilometers south of Fukuhara, along the coast, lay the port of Owada no Tomari.
Fukuhara and Owada no Tomari—A Maritime Hub Nurtured by Kiyomori for Over a Decade
Owada no Tomari was not a port built from scratch by Kiyomori.
It had been a crucial point on the Seto Inland Sea route since ancient times, and during the Konin era, it was renovated by the imperial court.
The weakness of the port was the winds and waves from the southeast. To safely anchor ships, a protective facility outside the port was necessary.
Kiyomori utilized Owada no Tomari for trade with the Song dynasty and around 1173, he invested his own wealth to advance its renovations.
Construction was also carried out to build an artificial island in front of the port, serving as a breakwater, which later came to be known as Kyogashima.
The “Heike Monogatari” contains a tale that instead of a human sacrifice, a stone inscribed with the “Issaikyo” sutra was submerged in the sea, giving the island its name, Kyogashima. The legend of Matsuo-maru as a human sacrifice was also passed down through the ages. Current research has yet to determine the exact location or construction method of the island, necessitating a distinction between legend and the reality of the port’s construction.
Excavations have gradually revealed the state of Fukuhara. At the Gion and Kusunoki-Aratamachi sites, structures, ditches, gardens, pottery, and Chinese ceramics from the late Heian period have been unearthed.
It grew from being merely the site of Kiyomori’s residence to a place where the residences of the Taira clan and other influential figures gathered.
From the Song dynasty came ceramics, Song coins, books, medicines, and fragrances, while Japanese trade goods also crossed the sea.
Although Hakata was the center of trade, Kiyomori developed Owada no Tomari near the eastern end of the Seto Inland Sea route, aiming to connect it with Fukuhara, close to Kyoto.
The relocation of the capital to Fukuhara in 1180 was not a sudden idea Kiyomori had upon first encountering the area.
For at least a decade prior, Fukuhara had been a place where Kiyomori’s life, politics, and maritime activities intersected.
His Wife’s Family and Daughters—The Taira Clan’s Expanding Ties to the Imperial Family and the Fujiwara Regency
Another pillar that greatly expanded Kiyomori’s influence was marriage alliances.
Kiyomori’s wife, Taira no Tokiko, had a half-sister named Taira no Shigeko.
Shigeko became the favored consort of Emperor Go-Shirakawa and in 1161, she gave birth to Prince Norihito. In 1168, at the age of eight, Prince Norihito ascended the throne as Emperor Takakura.
There was no direct blood relation between Kiyomori and Emperor Takakura.
Nevertheless, with his wife’s sister becoming the emperor’s mother, the Taira clan’s proximity to the imperial family significantly increased.
Furthermore, in 1171, Kiyomori’s daughter Tokuko entered the court of Emperor Takakura, becoming Empress in 1172.
The ties with the Fujiwara regency also strengthened.
Kiyomori’s daughter Moriko became the wife of the regent Konoe Motozane, and after Motozane’s death in 1166, she assumed the position of managing and inheriting his estates and household.
Kiyomori thus established a foothold in both the imperial family and the Fujiwara regency through his daughters.
The male members of his clan also rose in rank. His eldest son Shigemori became the Minister of the Interior, Munemori the Captain of the Right Imperial Guards, and Tomomori and Shigehira advanced to the rank of court nobles, while his brothers Yorimori, Norimori, and Tsunemori also took on important roles.
The “Heike Monogatari” boasts, with some exaggeration, of “sixteen court nobles from the clan and over thirty members of the imperial guards,” illustrating how the names of the Taira clan members became prominent in the imperial court of the 1170s.
During this period, Kiyomori and Emperor Go-Shirakawa generally maintained a cooperative relationship.
The enthronement of Emperor Takakura and Tokuko’s entry into the court were not developments separate from the politics of the cloistered emperor.
However, events between 1176 and 1179 began to strain this relationship.
The Death of Shigeko and the Shishigatani Incident—Widening the Gap with Emperor Go-Shirakawa
In July of Angen 2 (1176), Kenreimon-in Shigeko passed away at the age of 35.
Shigeko was the mother of Emperor Takakura and a key figure linking the Taira clan with the cloistered emperor.
After her death, tensions between Kiyomori and the cloistered emperor became more pronounced over issues related to temples, personnel, and land holdings.
The following year, in Jisho 1 (1177), the Shishigatani Incident occurred.
This was an event where close associates of Emperor Go-Shirakawa, such as Saiko, Fujiwara no Narichika, and Shunkan, were punished. The Tale of the Heike describes a secret meeting to overthrow the Taira clan held at Shishigatani in Higashiyama, which was revealed by the informant Tada Yukitsuna.
The famous banquet where a “sake bottle” was knocked over, symbolizing the fall of the Taira, is also part of this story.
Combining contemporary sources with recent research, it is difficult to portray Narichika, Saiko, and others as a unified group intent on overthrowing the Taira from the start.
The incident was more complex than depicted in the Tale of the Heike, involving conflicts over Enryaku-ji and differences in positions among the cloistered emperor’s close associates.
The punishments were severe. Saiko was executed, Narichika was exiled to Bizen and died, and Shunkan, Taira no Yasuyori, and Fujiwara no Naritsune were exiled to Kikaigashima.
In the Tale of the Heike, an enraged Kiyomori is said to have attempted to imprison Emperor Go-Shirakawa, but was dissuaded by his eldest son, Shigemori, who argued, “If I am loyal to my lord, I cannot be filial to my father.”
It was two years later that Kiyomori actually halted the cloistered government.
In 1179, Kiyomori Entered Kyoto with Thousands of Troops
In Jisho 3 (1179), Kiyomori suffered a series of personal losses.
On June 17, his daughter Moriko died at the age of 24, and on July 29, his eldest son Shigemori passed away at 42.
After Moriko’s death, the question arose of who would control the estates and household of the regent family, passed down from Konoe Motomichi.
Following Shigemori’s death, the Echizen province, long administered by his family, was transferred to the cloistered emperor’s domain in October.
Around the same time, the eight-year-old son of Regent Matsudono Motofusa, Shigie, was promoted to Provisional Middle Counselor, threatening the position of Konoe Motomichi, whom Kiyomori supported.
On November 14, Kiyomori entered Kyoto from Fukuhara. The Yamashina Diary records his forces as numbering in the thousands.
On the 15th, Regent Matsudono Motofusa was dismissed, and the 20-year-old Konoe Motomichi became regent.
On the 17th, numerous officials, including Chancellor Fujiwara no Moronaga, courtiers, palace guards, and provincial governors, lost their positions.
On the 20th, Emperor Go-Shirakawa was moved to the Toba Palace.
Since abdicating to Emperor Nijo in 1158, Emperor Go-Shirakawa’s cloistered rule had continued for over 20 years, but it ended here.
Kiyomori did not abolish the emperor, the regent, or the Grand Council of State.
While maintaining the framework of the court centered on Emperor Takakura, he removed many of those associated with the cloistered emperor and replaced them with individuals close to the Taira clan.
With the backing of his military forces, he swiftly reorganized the personnel and power dynamics within the court.
During the Hogen Rebellion, Taira no Kiyomori fought on the side of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. For the next 20 years, he continued to rise in rank by cooperating with the imperial court.
At the age of 61, Kiyomori removed Emperor Go-Shirakawa from the political scene.
The Accession of Emperor Antoku and the Relocation to Fukuhara—The Year the Nation Began to Stir
In the second month of Jisho 4 (1180), Emperor Takakura abdicated, and Tokuko’s son, Prince Tokihito, ascended the throne.
Emperor Antoku. He was three years old by traditional count, but only one year old in actual age.
Kiyomori became the maternal grandfather of the emperor. A man born into a samurai family had reached the position long held by the Fujiwara regents.
However, from that spring, the situation began to deteriorate.
Prince Mochihito, a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa, called for the overthrow of the Taira, and Minamoto no Yorimasa joined him.
On May 26, the Taira forces won at Uji, and Yorimasa committed suicide at Byodoin. Prince Mochihito also lost his life in southern Yamashiro.
Seven days later, on June 2, Emperor Antoku, the retired Emperor Takakura, and Emperor Go-Shirakawa left Kyoto for Fukuhara.
Kiyomori initially considered building a new capital in the Wada area, incorporating Owada no Tomari.
However, the terrain between the Rokko Mountains and the sea was too narrow for a large-scale grid city like Heian-kyo.
Other candidates like Koyano and Innanano were considered, but ultimately, the decision was made to open roads, allocate residential plots, and construct a palace around Fukuhara.
At the time of the move, even the emperor’s residence was not completed.
Emperor Antoku stayed at the residence of Taira no Yorimori, the retired Emperor Takakura at Kiyomori’s residence, and Emperor Go-Shirakawa at Taira no Munemori’s residence.
Meanwhile, on August 17, Minamoto no Yoritomo attacked Yamanaka Kanetaka in Izu.
Though defeated at Ishibashiyama, he fled to Awa, expanding his influence from Boso to Musashi.
The Kai Genji also mobilized, and in Shinano, Minamoto no Yoshinaka (Kiso Yoshinaka) gathered troops.
In October, the punitive forces led by Taira no Korehira advanced to the Fuji River but retreated without engaging in a major battle.
On November 11, Emperor Antoku finally moved into the new imperial palace in Fukuhara.
However, just 12 days later, on November 23, he departed Fukuhara and returned to Kyoto on the 26th.
Taira no Kiyomori’s plan to elevate Fukuhara as the capital, which he had nurtured for over a decade, was interrupted after approximately 170 days.
The Burning of Nanto—A Clash with Temples Ends in Disaster
Even after returning to Kyoto, the conflict between Kiyomori and the temple forces continued.
Particularly, Kofuku-ji showed support for Prince Mochihito and continued to resist the Taira clan.
Kiyomori decided on a military action against Nara, sending his fifth son, Taira no Shigehira, and others to Nanto.
On December 28, 1180, during the fighting, fires spread, and the halls and towers of Kofuku-ji and Todai-ji were consumed by flames.
At Todai-ji, even the Great Buddha Hall was engulfed in fire.
The “Tale of the Heike” describes how Shigehira’s forces set fire to houses to illuminate a night battle, and the flames, fanned by the wind, spread to the temples.
The extent to which the destruction was intentional varies in historical records, and it cannot be definitively stated that Shigehira ordered the burning of the entire Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji from the start.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that the Taira clan’s attack triggered a great fire in Nanto, resulting in the loss of the Great Buddha Hall at Todai-ji.
In the Gion Shrine Incident of 1147, Kiyomori was in a position where the temple side demanded his exile.
Thirty-three years later, in his final years, Kiyomori was in a position to send his clan’s forces into Nanto.
About two months after that incident, Kiyomori himself fell ill.
The Death of Kiyomori in 1181—How Much of the “Fever” Is Historical Fact?
On January 14, 1181, Emperor Takakura passed away at the age of 21.
Even with the loss of Emperor Takakura, who was central to the connection between the Taira clan and the imperial family, the conflict did not cease.
In the eastern provinces, Yoritomo was expanding his influence from Kamakura, and Yoshinaka was in Shinano. The Taira clan was reorganizing their punitive forces.
In late February, Kiyomori fell ill.
The “Gyokuyo” by Kujō Kanezane notes on February 27 that Kiyomori suffered from “head wind.” His condition rapidly worsened thereafter.
On the intercalary 4th of February, Taira no Kiyomori died in Kyoto at the age of 64.
The “Tale of the Heike” portrays his end as terrifying.
Kiyomori’s body was so hot it was as if it was on fire, and even water poured on him turned to steam.
He reportedly told his wife, Tokiko, that he needed no funeral or memorial, but to offer Yoritomo’s head at his grave.
Such scenes cannot be reconstructed from contemporary records.
What is known from sources like the “Gyokuyo” is that Kiyomori fell suddenly ill, became gravely ill in a short time, and died. The cause of death is speculated to be a fever or infectious disease, but there is no definitive evidence.
After Kiyomori’s death, his third son, Munemori, took the lead of the clan. Shigemori had already passed away.
The Taira clan had not yet collapsed at that point. They maintained control in Kyoto and held numerous provinces, manors, and retainers in the western regions.
However, maintaining the relationships Kiyomori had built in the same way proved difficult.
In July of 1183, as Minamoto no Yoshinaka’s forces advanced on Kyoto, the Taira clan fled the capital, taking Emperor Antoku with them.
On March 24, 1185, the Taira’s main forces were defeated at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, and Emperor Antoku perished in the sea.
This occurred four years after the death of Taira no Kiyomori.
The “Tale of the Heike” was composed during a time when this outcome was already known.
Thus, from the outset, Kiyomori’s story is overshadowed by the specter of downfall.
The famous phrase “the proud do not endure” is placed within a narrative structure that reflects on the past from the perspective of those aware of the Taira’s demise.
Kiyomori’s own life was longer and more complex than the story suggests.
He inherited connections with the cloistered government and a strong base in the western provinces from his father, Taira no Tadamori, and emerged victorious in the Hogen and Heiji Rebellion.
He steadily rose through the ranks of the court, eventually becoming the Grand Minister of State.
He supported Itsukushima Shrine, developed the port of Owada, married his daughter into the imperial family, and elevated his grandson to the throne.
However, in his later years, he removed Emperor Go-Shirakawa from political power and reshuffled court appointments with military backing. In 1180, he relocated the emperor to Fukuhara and dispatched troops to suppress rebellious temples and shrines.
There is no clear turning point in Kiyomori’s life where he suddenly became a different person.
The power he accumulated through ranks, marriages, fiefdoms, temples, maritime trade, and military strength grew progressively larger, as did the scale of its use.
And it was during the time when he wielded this power most forcefully that nationwide conflict erupted.
Kiyomori never saw Dan-no-ura. He never witnessed the Taira leaving Kyoto.
The last Japan he saw was one where Yoritomo and Yoshinaka were expanding their influence across the land, and the Taira were struggling to push them back.
It was Minamoto no Yoritomo, who had been spared during the Heiji Rebellion and exiled to Izu, who would shape the events that followed.
For those who wish to delve deeper into the life of Taira no Kiyomori, I recommend Masaaki Takahashi’s “Taira no Kiyomori: The Dream of Fukuhara.” This book offers a detailed exploration of not only his rise as a warrior and the Taira regime but also Fukuhara, Owada Port, and trade with the Song Dynasty, providing valuable insights into Kiyomori’s aspirations in his later years.
The Itsukushima Shrine, which Taira no Kiyomori devoutly worshipped and supported with large-scale shrine construction, is a landmark of present-day Miyajima. When it comes to souvenirs from Miyajima, the quintessential choice is undoubtedly the “momiji manju.” This classic Hiroshima confection, which you can enjoy while reflecting on the history of Itsukushima Shrine and Miyajima, comes in a variety of flavors, allowing you to choose an assortment.
