Hōgen Rebellion

In July of Hōgen 1 (1156), the dispute between Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Retired Emperor Sutoku over imperial succession escalated into armed conflict. This "Hōgen Rebellion" marked Japan's first large-scale intervention by warriors in imperial politics during the late Heian period, and thus constitutes an extraordinarily significant turning point in Japanese history.

**Background: Imperial Succession and the Rise of Warriors**

During the late Heian period, the imperial court shifted its power structure from the Fujiwara regency system to cloistered rule, and frequently faced internal conflicts over imperial succession. Upon the death of Emperor Toba (July 2, 1156), the grievances of Retired Emperor Sutoku—long suppressed under Toba's cloistered rule—suddenly erupted. Sutoku gathered Minamoto no Tameyoshi, his son Minamoto no Tametomo, and Taira no Tadamasa, established his headquarters at Shirakawa Kitadono, and moved to oppose Emperor Go-Shirakawa's faction.

On the other hand, Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo hastened to the side of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Kiyomori already held strong territorial power in western Japan as the head of the Taira clan, while Yoshitomo was a prominent figure of the Minamoto with achievements in the east. At this point, the Taira and Minamoto fought together in the same faction.

**Swords and Archery: Weapons Culture of the Hōgen Rebellion**

During the era of the Hōgen Rebellion, the primary combat style of warriors was mounted archery, and swords served as supplementary close-combat weapons. However, the military commanders who participated in this battle carried excellent swords and embodied the sword culture of the late Heian period.

Minamoto no Tametomo (known as Chinzei Hachirō) is portrayed in later military chronicles as a giant warrior renowned for his powerful bow. According to the "Hōgen Monogatari," Tametomo, while defending Shirakawa Kitadono for Sutoku's faction, remained vigilant against night attacks and employed fire as a strategic countermeasure to defend the position. His archery skill was legendary enough to be praised as "whenever he drew his bow and arrow, he would strike his mark"—and he is said to have been equally exceptional as a swordsman.

While there are few direct historical sources regarding the specific sword that Taira no Kiyomori brought to the battlefield, the Taira family heirloom "Kogarasumaru" (the "Little Crow") is known as a renowned blade that had been transmitted through the Taira line since the Heian period. Through his active role in this rebellion, Kiyomori would soon rise rapidly in the political sphere.

During this era, the mainstream blades were deeply curved tachi of the ancient Bizen and Hōki traditions. The style of mounted warfare—wielding long tachi from horseback—was displayed throughout the Hōgen Rebellion.

**The Night Attack on Shirakawa Kitadono: Course of Battle**

In the early hours of July 11 (by the old lunar calendar), the Go-Shirakawa faction, following Yoshitomo's strategic proposal to "take the initiative and set fires," executed a night attack on Shirakawa Kitadono.

Kiyomori attacked from the north, Yoshitomo from the east, and Koremasa, son of Fujiwara no Michinori (Norinaga), joined in to encircle Sutoku's forces. Fire was set to Shirakawa Kitadono, and Sutoku's warriors fell into chaos amid the flames. While Tametomo's powerful bow caused difficulties for the Go-Shirakawa forces for a time, overwhelmed by superior numbers, Sutoku's faction collapsed within a single night of fighting.

**Aftermath: Sutoku's Fate**

Retired Emperor Sutoku fled to the Ninna-ji temple and was later exiled to Sanuki (present-day Kagawa Prefecture). Sutoku spent approximately eight years in Sanuki and passed away nursing deep resentment. Posterity came to fear him as one of the "Three Great Vengeful Spirits of Japan."

**Executions and Precedent: Forging the Dark Nature of Warrior Service**

In the aftermath of the Hōgen Rebellion, the imperial court took unprecedented steps. It executed the military commanders on the losing side. Minamoto no Tameyoshi was beheaded by his own son, Yoshitomo, and Taira no Tadamasa was executed by his nephew, Kiyomori. In this cruel command to kill kinsman by kinsman, one can read the court's intent: not merely to use warriors as political instruments, but to demonstrate their subordination through bloodshed.

This execution left deep scars among the warrior class. Yoshitomo carried inner turmoil from having executed his own father, and this became a distant cause of his rebellion in the later Heiji Rebellion (1159).

From the perspective of sword history, the Hōgen Rebellion was a symbolic event in which warriors ascended from "those who carry swords" to "those who wield swords to move the nation." After this, Taira no Kiyomori rose to the position of Grand Minister of State and enjoyed the prestige of which it was said "if one is not of the Taira, then one is not a person." Minamoto no Yoritomo, the son of Yoshitomo, would later establish the Kamakura shogunate and lay the foundation for samurai rule. The swords drawn at the Hōgen Rebellion were swords that changed the direction of Japanese history.

**Influence on Sword Culture: The Zenith of Ancient Bizen and the Era of the Tachi**

The mid-twelfth century, when the Hōgen Rebellion occurred, marked the apex of the "Ancient Bizen" period in the history of Japanese swords. The tachi produced by master smiths of Ancient Bizen such as Tomoshige, Masatsune, and Hotsuhira were prized as principal weapons of mounted warriors. Their blade patterns featured a fine, irregular grain as the base, while the steel displayed a darkish wood-grain surface finish. The graceful forms with deeply set curvatures at the lower hip were characteristic of the age, and it is believed that the swords worn by commanders who participated in the Hōgen Rebellion were of this same tradition.

Moreover, as exemplified by the great bow said to have been used by Minamoto no Tametomo, this era saw archery arts (equestrian archery and hat-shooting) and mounted tactics as the core of the warrior's accomplishments. Swords were worn at the hip as the "soul of the warrior"—held in reserve for close combat as a last resort—but their role remained largely supplementary. A century after the Hōgen Rebellion, the spread of infantry warfare in the Mongol Invasions (Genkō) would transform the sword's role into something far more central and active.