Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇) (October 18, 1127 – April 26, 1192) was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158. This 12th-century sovereign was named after the 11th century Emperor Shirakawa, and go- (後), translates literally as “later”; and thus, he is sometimes called the “Later Emperor Shirakawa”. Continue reading «Famous Birthdays Today: 1127, Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan.»

The Battle of Ishibashiyama (石橋山の戦い) was the first in which Minamoto Yoritomo, who was to become shogun less than a decade later, was commander of the Minamoto forces. The battle was fought on September 14, 1180 in the southwest of present-day Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture near Yoritomo’s headquarters at Kamakura. In this, his first attempt to challenge the Taira, Yoritomo was Continue reading «Historical Events Today: 1180 – Battle of Ishibashiyama in Japan!»

The siege of the Shirakawa-den was the central event of the Hōgen Rebellion, a succession dispute which broke out after the death of the cloistered Emperor Toba. The conflict grew to involve the Fujiwara, Minamoto, and Taira clans, all major powers of the period. The palace was attacked by Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo and defended by Yoshitomo’s Continue reading «Historical Events Today: 1156-Siege of Shirakawa-den in Japan.»