The Battle of Dan-no-ura, more commonly known as Dan-no-ura no Tatakai (壇ノ浦の戦い), was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura , in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. On April 25 1185, the Genji clan fleet, of the Minamoto family, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, of the Taira family, during a half-day engagement.

The Taira were outnumbered, but some sources say that they had the advantage over the Minamoto in understanding the tides of that particular area, as well as naval combat tactics in general. The Taira split their fleet into three squadrons, while their enemy arrived en masse, their ships abreast, and archers ready. The beginning of the battle consisted mainly of a long-range archery exchange, before the Taira took the initiative, using the tides to help them try to surround the enemy ships. They engaged the Minamoto, and the archery gave way to hand-to-hand combat with swords and daggers. However, the tide changed, and the advantage was given back to the Minamoto.

One of the crucial factors that allowed the Minamoto to win the battle was that a Taira general by the name of Taguchi Shigeyoshi defected, and revealed to the Minamoto which ship the six-year-old Emperor Antoku was on. Their archers turned their attention to the helmsmen and rowers of the Emperor's ship, as well as the rest of their enemy's fleet, sending their ships out of control. Many of the Taira warriors, seeing the battle turn against them, threw themselves overboard, committing suicide rather than facing defeat at the hands of the Minamoto. Among those killed this way were Antoku, and his grandmother, the widow of Taira no Kiyomori, head of the clan. To this day, the crabs found in the Straits of Shimonoseki are considered by the Japanese to hold the spirits of the Taira warriors.

This decisive battle meant the end of Taira control of Japan. Minamoto Yoritomo, the elder brother of Minamoto Yoshitsune became the first Shogun, establishing his military government ('bakufu') in the town of Kamakura.

References

• Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.