Taira no Koremori - Taira no Koremori

A military commander in the late Heian period. The eldest son of Taira Shigemori. As the direct descendant of the Taira clan, he was highly esteemed from an early age, and served as Ukonoe Gon no Shosho, Chugu Gon no Suke, Togu Gon no Suke, and other positions. He was handsome, and at the celebration of Emperor Goshirakawa's 50th birthday, he danced a Seigaiha dance while holding cherry blossoms, which earned him the nickname Oubai Shosho. When the Genpei War broke out in 1180 (Jisho 4), he served as the supreme commander in the pursuit of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and faced him at the Fuji River, but was frightened by the sound of waterfowl's wings and fled, incurring the wrath of Kiyomori. The following year, he defeated the army of MINAMOTO no Yukiie at the Battle of Sunomata River in Owari, and was promoted to Uchujo, Kurodo no To, and Jusanmi for his achievements, and came to be known as Komatsu Sanmi Chujo. In May 83 (Juei 2), he headed for Hokuriku to pursue MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka, but was defeated in a surprise attack by Yoshinaka at Tonamiyama in Ecchu (Toyama Prefecture), and fled the capital with his Heike clan and fled to the Western Seas. However, according to the Tale of the Heike, sensing the impermanence of the world, he escaped from Yashima in Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture) and entered Mount Koya, where he shaved his head, took the name Joen, and drowned himself in the sea of ​​Nachi in March of the 84th year of the Genryaku era (1st year of the Genryaku era). However, there are many legends and different theories about his final moments.

[Tanaka Fumihide]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安末期の武将。平重盛(しげもり)の長男。平氏の嫡流のため幼少より重んぜられ、右近衛権少将(うこのえごんのしょうしょう)、中宮権亮(ちゅうぐうごんのすけ)、春宮(とうぐう)権亮などを歴任した。容姿秀麗で、後白河(ごしらかわ)法皇の50歳の賀に際し、桜花をかざして青海波(せいがいは)を舞い称賛され、桜梅(おうばい)少将ともよばれた。源平争乱が起こると、1180年（治承4）源頼朝(よりとも)追討の総大将として富士川に対陣したが、水鳥の羽音に驚いて敗走し、清盛の怒りを買った。翌年の尾張(おわり)墨俣(すのまた)川の戦いでは源行家(ゆきいえ)の軍を破り、その功によって、右中将(うちゅうじょう)、蔵人頭(くろうどのとう)、従三位(じゅさんみ)に昇進し、世に小松三位中将とよばれた。ついで83年（寿永2）5月に源（木曽(きそ)）義仲(よしなか)追討のため北陸に向かったが、越中(えっちゅう)（富山県）の礪波山(となみやま)において義仲の奇襲を受けて大敗し、平家一門と都落ちして西海に走った。しかし、『平家物語』によると、世の無常を感じて讃岐(さぬき)（香川県）の屋島(やしま)から脱出して高野山(こうやさん)に入り、剃髪(ていはつ)して浄円(じょうえん)と号し、84年（元暦1）3月、那智(なち)の海に入水(じゅすい)したという。ただし、その最期については伝承、異説が多い。

［田中文英］

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