Battle of Uji (1180)

First Battle of Uji

The Phoenix Hall of the Byōdō-in, in front of which the battle took place

Date	June 23, 1180
Location	Uji, just outside Kyoto
Result	Taira victory; Minamoto commander and Prince Mochihito killed

Belligerents

Minamoto clan

Taira clan

Commanders and leaders

Minamoto no Yorimasa †
Prince Mochihito †

Taira no Tomomori
Taira no Shigehira

The first battle of Uji is famous and important for having opened the Genpei War.

In early 1180, Prince Mochihito, the Minamoto Clan's favored claimant to the Imperial Throne, was chased by Taira forces to the Mii-dera, a temple just outside Kyoto. Due to the interference of a Mii-dera monk with Taira sympathies, the Minamoto army arrived too late to help defend the temple.

Minamoto no Yorimasa and Prince Mochihito, along with a few hundred men including the warrior monks from Mii-dera, fled south towards Nara. They crossed the Uji River, just outside the Byōdō-in, and tore up the planks of the bridge behind them to prevent the Taira following them.

Three warrior monks in particular are named in the Heike Monogatari: Gochi-in no Tajima, Tsutsui Jōmyō Meishū, and Ichirai Hōshi. These three, along with the other monks of Mii-dera, fought with bow and arrow, a variety of swords and daggers, and naginata.

As for the Heike troops, they were led by Ashikaga Tadatsuna, one of the few warrior of direct Minamoto descent who stayed loyal to his oath to the Taira family even when it was crumbling around him, until he and his father were murdered by one of their retainers, Kiryū Rokurō. A young hero of 18 years old, Tadatsuna is remembered as having the strength of hundred men, a voice echoed over 10 li (5 km), and teeth of 1 sun (3.03cm) long. Describing it as such, Azuma Kagami further stated that "there will be no warrior in future ages like this Tadatsuna."

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Wikipedia