Siege of Hiuchi
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DateApril–May 1183
Location
Hiuchiyama, Echizen Province
Result
Siege succeeds; fortress falls, but Minamoto survive and escape
| Siege of Hiuchi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Genpei War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Minamoto clan | Taira clan | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Minamoto no Yoshinaka | Taira no Koremori | ||||||
Hiuchiyama (火打ち山) was one of Minamoto no Yoshinaka's fortresses in Echizen Province, Japan. In April and May 1183, a Taira force led by Taira no Koremori attacked the fortress.[1]
It was built on rocky crags, and well-defended; the Minamoto had even built a dam to create a moat. However, a traitor within the fortress tied a message to an arrow, firing it into the Taira camp, and revealing a way to breach the dam and drain the water. The castle soon fell to the Taira, but Yoshinaka and much of his forces survived and escaped.[2][3]