Taira no Kiyomori

In 1118 in Kyoto amid the time of confusion, Taira no Tadamori, the heir of the Taira clan, spends days doing dirty works to capture robbers under ord...

Heita, after reaching adulthood, wanders around gambling parlors being frustrated with his ironic fate of having two fathers: Tadamori as his foster f...

Heita, renamed as Kiyomori, spends days fighting against pirates in the Seto Inland Sea and restoring stolen food to fisherfolk. Kiyomori, however, is...

Tadamori becomes the first samurai granted a title which allows him to enter the Imperial Palace in recognition of his loyalty to the Imperial Court,...

In 1135 at the Imperial Court, aristocrats are discussing countermeasures against pirates who are raising havoc in the Seto Inland Sea. Despite Tadaza...

Amid the battle against the pirates, Taira no Moriyasu gets seriously hurt from protecting Kiyomori, and the Taira clan once returns to their base. Ki...

The Taira clan finally succeeds in subduing the pirates, however, Tadamori is not granted the rank equal to the aristocrats. Kiyomori, on the other ha...

In 1136, Kiyomori learns that Tadamori is illegally trading with Sung and keeps it secret from the Imperial Court. Meanwhile, Fujiwara no Yorinaga, th...

In 1138, Akiko gave birth to her and Kiyomori's first child—a baby boy. Now, an heir was born to the Heike family heir, and the entire clan rejoiced a...

Tamako (Empress Dowager Taiken), wife of the retired Emperor Toba, gets upset and clutches at Nariko for bringing up unfavorable rumors surrounding Pr...

Emperor Sutoku falls into Nariko's trap and passes the throne to Emperor Konoe, the son of Nariko and the retired Emperor Toba. Meanwhile, Akiko becom...

In 1145, Tamako, who has become a Buddhist nun, is struck down by a serious illness. The retired Emperor Toba loses his composure and orders samurai s...

In 1147, when Kiyomori and the members of the Taira family visit Gion Shrine to pray for the prosperity of the Taira family, they get into a skirmish...

Kiyomori, after being released, faces scolding from his younger brother, Iemori, who flatly says that Kiyomori's behavior was inappropriate as the hei...

Iemori falls into Yorinaga's trap and dies from falling off his horse, which strongly shakes the Taira family. Tadamori, however, shows no sign of per...

While the internal power struggle within the Fujiwara family is heating up, Tadamori, who has been promoted after completing the reconstruction of Mt....

In 1153 after the death of Tadamori, Kiyomori officially becomes the head of the Taira family, however, he starts to doubt his abilities in following...

In 1154, as the reigning Emperor Konoe's illness worsens, the retired Emperor Toba regrets and wonders if the cause of illness is retribution for him...

Prince Masahito ascends the throne and becomes Emperor Go-Shirakawa, which throws the Imperial Court into chaos. Meanwhile, a dispute arises among the...

In 1156, the former Emperor Sutoku and Yorinaga similarly oppressed, join together. Shinzei puts the two under suspicion of treason and commands the s...

On the late night of July 10, 1156, military meetings are held at both sides, the former Emperor Sutoku and the reigning Emperor Go-Shirakawa, where t...

The Hogen Rebellion finally comes to an end with the victory of the Emperor Go-Shirakawa side. Yorinaga, who is seriously hurt while escaping, seeks h...

Kiyomori and Yoshitomo are respectively ordered to cut off Tadamasa and Tameyoshi's heads by Shinzei who has now come to power in the Imperial Court....

Shinzei, who is actively engaged in political events, sends Kiyomori to Chinzei to raise money by collecting unpaid taxes. Meanwhile, Shigemori, Kiyom...

Yoshitomo feels chagrined at remaining in his low status, while Kiyomori is climbing up the ladder of success. Yoritomo, Yoshitomo's eldest son, meets...

In 1159, Yoshitomo finally decides to join hands with Nobuyori and rises in revolt against Shinzei--the Heiji Rebellion. Yoshitomo and Nobuyori place...

Kiyomori declares his intention to show his obedience to Nobuyori instead of taking an immediate action against him, which surprises the members of th...

Yoshitomo, who was defeated by Kiyomori, flees eastward but ends up being alone with Masakiyo, Yoshitomo's foster brother and most loyal aide, and the...

In 1160, Kiyomori is finally granted the long-sought rank which equals to that of an aristocrat, and many within the Taira family also enjoyed promoti...

In 1161, the retired Emperor Sutoku, who has been exiled to Sanuki where he is now living a quiet life, writes a hand-copied sutra for the former Empe...

It is 1164, Yoritomo, who was exiled five years ago by Kiyomori, has now turned 18 and lives with his retainer in Izu. Meanwhile, Kiyomori gains power...

In 1166, Kiyomori becomes the first samurai who reaches the position of a Major Counselor at the Imperial Court. Although some aristocrats reacted sha...

In 1167, Kiyomori becomes the Chief Minister of the Imperial Court. At the celebration of Kiyomori's 50th birthday, aristocrats from prominent familie...

In 1168, Kiyomori is struck down by a febrile illness, which shakes not only the Taira family but also the Imperial Court and samurais across the coun...

After recovering from his illness, Kiyomori enters the Buddhist priesthood with his wife Tokiko. Kiyomori decides to move his base to Fukuhara to live...

While Kiyomori moves to Fukuhara, entrusting Kyoto to his heir Shigemori, the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa enters the Buddhist priesthood. In 1169, th...

In 1170, Kiyomori invites the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa to Fukuhara where he arranges a meeting between Go-Shirakawa and the people from Sung. M...

In July 1171, Kiyomori succeeds in marrying off his daughter, Tokuko, to Emperor Takakura, thanks to the hospitality he offered to the cloistered Empe...

In 1172 in Fukuhara, Kiyomori with the backing of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa steadily advances construction work of a port, together with Usa...

In 1174 in Fukuhara, Japan-Sung trade has already started. Kiyomori advises the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Shigeko to visit Itsukushima Shrin...

In 1177, Saiko's son gets into a skirmish with Buddhist monks at a temple on Mt. Hakusan, and the incident escalates into a brawl, involving Buddhist...

Kiyomori receives secret information that the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and his aides, including Narichika and Saiko, are plotting to overthrow...

Narichika, who has been exiled by Kiyomori, dies from starvation. Shigemori becomes worn down by the passing of his brother-in-law and from the consid...

Shigemori, who has been suffering from anxiety of being caught between the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori, finally falls ill. After Kiyo...

Kiyomori launches a coup d'etat by placing the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa under confinement, and finally becomes the first samurai to seize contr...

Learning Prince Mochihito's plot, Kiyomori bursts in anger and captures Mochihito and his followers. While Kiyomori enforces the transfer of capital t...

In 1180, Kiyomori commands his followers to defeat Yoritomo under the name of the former Emperor Takakura. Although Yoritomo loses the battle against...

After the loss in the Battle of Fujikawa, Kiyomori reluctantly gives in to Munemori's tearful appeal for restoring the capital to Kyoto. Learning Kiyo...

Early in the following year in 1181, ill feelings towards the Taira family spread across the country. Meanwhile, the former Emperor Takakura, who has...

Kiyomori is struck down by a febrile illness. Kiyomori appears before Saigyo, formerly named Norikiyo, as a wraith, and learns the meaning of his life...