Siege of Hiuchi
Siege in 1183 in Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
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 | ||||||
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]