Taira no Koremori
Encyclopedia
was one of the Taira clan's commanders in the Genpei War
of the late Heian period
of Japanese history.
He was the eldest son of Taira no Shigemori
, who was the eldest son and heir of Taira no Kiyomori
.
In contrast to his father Shigemori, who was a brave warrior, Koremori grew up to be a young nobleman who loved poetry and music.
He was defeated at the battle of Fujigawa
in 1180, and again at the battle of Kurikara
. In 1184, he fled from the battle of Yashima
, and is said to have committed suicide.
in the story "An Old God Renewed" as being the governor of Mutsu province. He is described as having been the secretary of the Right Palace Guard later in life. Although Konjaku Monogatarishū is a collection of fictional stories, its authenticity in describing historical figures can be trusted in this case, for example, Taira no Korenobu is known to have existed through other third party sources in addition to the tales. How he rose to power may be in question but his existence as a historical figure is not in doubt.
The mythology surrounding Korenobu is closely linked to the Japanese way of viewing the gods and spirits. When a god is not given offerings, it is believed that the god may cause those around it trouble. Likewise, if a god is given sufficient offerings it is thought that the god will richly bless those who gave it offerings. As he offered a local god in the Mutsu province various things, Taira was later rewarded with a decent appointment. This is a clear example of having appeased a spirit. Locations of Appointments in Historical Context The account of Korenobu's ascent within circles of power is described in Konjaku Monogatari as having been due to his attempts during his time as governor of Mutsu to restore the shrine of a god that had been neglected. Following these attempts to restore the shrine he was said to be favoured by the god who ensured he rose to a higher appointment, that being the governor of Hitachi province. Mutsu province was a province that consisted of the current day Miyagi, Fukushima, Iwate and Aomori prefectures. This was an appointment to a rather far-flung place relative to Kyoto, which was the center of power at the time. Hitachi province, for its part, was closer to Kyoto overall and was a much more coveted posting, and would be perceived as more of a reward than Korenobu's original posting to Mutsu. It is located near the modern-day Chiba prefecture and the Boso peninsula, and as such closer to the capital. The Taira family Being part of the dominant Taira clan would have meant that Korenobu was one of many who was competing for high ranking appointments. However, he was able to reach an appointment in Kyoto with the assistance of the god whose shrine he restored, according to the story. The Taira family was dominant in Japan around the time of the 12th century, which is when Konjaku Monogatari is believed to have been written. As such, although the talk of gods granting favors might seem somewhat fictional, it is historically accurate that Taira no Korenobu would have been a figure who existed around the time the collection of stories were written who may have occupied some sort of middling position akin to the posting to the position of governor of Mutsu and then risen to a higher posting, that of governor of Hitachi.
Genpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
of the late Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
of Japanese history.
He was the eldest son of Taira no Shigemori
Taira no Shigemori
was the eldest son of the Taira clan patriarch, Taira no Kiyomori. He took part in the Hōgen and Heiji rebellions. He died of illness in 1179....
, who was the eldest son and heir of Taira no Kiyomori
Taira no Kiyomori
was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
.
In contrast to his father Shigemori, who was a brave warrior, Koremori grew up to be a young nobleman who loved poetry and music.
He was defeated at the battle of Fujigawa
Battle of Fujigawa
The was a battle of the Genpei War of the Heian period of Japanese history. It took place in 1180, in what is now Shizuoka Prefecture.Attempting to recover quickly from his exile, and to rebuild his army, Minamoto no Yoritomo sent out messengers to recruit other families...
in 1180, and again at the battle of Kurikara
Battle of Kurikara
The battle of Kurikara, also known as the battle of Tonamiyama , was a crucial battle of Japan's Genpei War; in this battle the tide of the war turned in the favor of the Minamoto clan.-Background:...
. In 1184, he fled from the battle of Yashima
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, just off the coast of Shikoku...
, and is said to have committed suicide.
Korenobu in Konjaku Monogatarishū
He is mentioned in Konjaku MonogatarishūKonjaku Monogatarishu
is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian period . The entire collection was originally contained in 31 volumes, of which only 28 remain today...
in the story "An Old God Renewed" as being the governor of Mutsu province. He is described as having been the secretary of the Right Palace Guard later in life. Although Konjaku Monogatarishū is a collection of fictional stories, its authenticity in describing historical figures can be trusted in this case, for example, Taira no Korenobu is known to have existed through other third party sources in addition to the tales. How he rose to power may be in question but his existence as a historical figure is not in doubt.
The mythology surrounding Korenobu is closely linked to the Japanese way of viewing the gods and spirits. When a god is not given offerings, it is believed that the god may cause those around it trouble. Likewise, if a god is given sufficient offerings it is thought that the god will richly bless those who gave it offerings. As he offered a local god in the Mutsu province various things, Taira was later rewarded with a decent appointment. This is a clear example of having appeased a spirit. Locations of Appointments in Historical Context The account of Korenobu's ascent within circles of power is described in Konjaku Monogatari as having been due to his attempts during his time as governor of Mutsu to restore the shrine of a god that had been neglected. Following these attempts to restore the shrine he was said to be favoured by the god who ensured he rose to a higher appointment, that being the governor of Hitachi province. Mutsu province was a province that consisted of the current day Miyagi, Fukushima, Iwate and Aomori prefectures. This was an appointment to a rather far-flung place relative to Kyoto, which was the center of power at the time. Hitachi province, for its part, was closer to Kyoto overall and was a much more coveted posting, and would be perceived as more of a reward than Korenobu's original posting to Mutsu. It is located near the modern-day Chiba prefecture and the Boso peninsula, and as such closer to the capital. The Taira family Being part of the dominant Taira clan would have meant that Korenobu was one of many who was competing for high ranking appointments. However, he was able to reach an appointment in Kyoto with the assistance of the god whose shrine he restored, according to the story. The Taira family was dominant in Japan around the time of the 12th century, which is when Konjaku Monogatari is believed to have been written. As such, although the talk of gods granting favors might seem somewhat fictional, it is historically accurate that Taira no Korenobu would have been a figure who existed around the time the collection of stories were written who may have occupied some sort of middling position akin to the posting to the position of governor of Mutsu and then risen to a higher posting, that of governor of Hitachi.