Battle of Yashima

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Battle of Yashima

The naval Battle of Yashima took place on 22 March 1185. Following a long string of defeats, the Taira clan retreated to Yashima, today's Takamatsu

Takamatsu, Kagawa

is located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government....
, just off the coast of Shikoku

Shikoku

Emperor Antoku

Emperor Antoku was the 81st Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185....
and the imperial regalia, which they had taken earlier in the war.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo....
, setting out from Kyoto

Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
after a lull of several months in the war, found his way to Shikoku

Shikoku

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The naval Battle of Yashima took place on 22 March 1185. Following a long string of defeats, the Taira clan retreated to Yashima, today's Takamatsu

Takamatsu, Kagawa

Shikoku

Emperor Antoku

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo....
, setting out from Kyoto

Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
after a lull of several months in the war, found his way to Shikoku

Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
with a small force, no more than about a hundred men. Most of his ships were destroyed or lost in a storm only days before; but he was re-supplied by an ally, Kajiwara Kagetoki

Kajiwara Kagetoki

was a spy for Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpei War, and a warrior against the Taira. He came to be known for his greed and treachery.Originally from Suruga province, Kajiwara entered the Genpei War fighting under Oba Kagechika, against the Minamoto....
.

The Taira were expecting a naval attack, and so Yoshitsune

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo....
lit bonfires on Shikoku

Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
, essentially in their rear, fooling the Taira into believing that a large force was approaching on land. They abandoned the fortress/palace, and took to their ships, along with Emperor Antoku and the imperial regalia. The Taira even placed a fan atop the mast of one of their ships, and dared the Minamoto to knock it off. In one of the most famous archery feats in all of Japanese history, Nasu no Yoichi

Nasu no Yoichi

was a samurai who fought alongside the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War. He is particularly famous for his actions at the Battle of Yashima in 1184....
rode out into the sea on horseback, and did just that. The Minamoto were victorious, but the majority of the Taira fleet escaped to Dan-no-ura

Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi

is a cities of Japan located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshu, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....
, where they were defeated one month later in the Battle of Dan-no-ura

Battle of Dan-no-ura

The was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. On April 25 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement....
.

Influences in Popular Culture

In the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion

, commonly referred to as NGE, Eva, or Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful, influential, and controversial Japanese anime that began in October 1995; the series launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise....
, an elaborate plan code-named Operation Yashima was devised. It involved a carefully calculated long-distance, pin-point sniping of the Angel Ramiel
Angel (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

In the anime and manga Neon Genesis Evangelion , Angels are beings which attack Neon Genesis Evangelion glossary#Tokyo-3 over the course of the story....
's core with a positron rifle powered on the entire electrical output of Japan.