Taira no Moromori (平師盛)
TAIRA no Moromori (date of birth unknown, 1171 - March 27, 1184) was a busho (Japanese military commander) who lived during the late Heian Period. He was the fifth child of TAIRA no Shigemori (The Tale of the Heike [the Taira family] says he was the youngest child). His mother was FUJIWARA no Keishi (the fourth daughter of FUJIWARA no Ienari), Shigemori's lawful wife. His official court rank was Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) as jiju (chamberlain) and Bicchu no kami (governor of Bicchu Province).
In 1184, he attacked MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune's army from ambush in Mt. Mikusa in Harima Province with his brothers: Sukemori, Arimori and Tadafusa; but they were defeated in the enemy's night attack (the Battle of Mikusayama [Mt. Mikusa]). Three brothers except Moromori ran away to the western part of Japan, and only Moromori joined the headquarters of the Taira army in Ichi no tani region in the south. In the next battle, the Battle of Ichi no tani, he fought with Yoshisada YASUDA's troops at Owada no tomari (Owada port) (Hyogo Ward, Kobe City) and was killed at the age of 14. According to "The tale of the Heike," when he was going out to sea with his retainers on a small boat, seven people in all, a samurai named Seiemon Kinnaga, TAIRA no Tomomori's retainer, came in a rush to ask for a lift. The boat was brought into shore to pick him up, but when the grown-up man in armor jumped from his horse onto it, the boat overturned. Moromori was thrown out in the sea and was pulled up with a rake by a retainer of Shigetada HATAKEYAMA only to get killed.
It has been told that Seikanbo Genchi, the best disciple of Honen, was a bereaved son of Moromori.