Taira no Yukimori (平行盛)

TAIRA no Yukimori (Year of birth unknown - April 25, 1185) was a military commander who lived during the late Heian Period.

He was the oldest son of TAIRA no Motomori who was the second son of TAIRA no Kiyomori. After his father died young, Yukinori was spending his time, praying for the repose of his father. However, Yukinori was educated by his uncle, TAIRA no Shigemori, who felt pity for Yukinori and appointed to a government post, Sama no kami (Captain of Samaryo, Left Division of Bureau of Horses), with the Heike clan's advancement in social status. Yukimori was also promoted to Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and became Harima no kuni no kami (governor of Harima Province) and Sama no kami. He also achieved fame as a poet.

During the Jisho-Juei War, he joined the battle of Kurikara Pass, the battle of Mikusayama, the battle of Fujito, the battle of Okushima, etc. Particularly in the battle of Fujito, as Daishogun (command in chief), Yukinori fought with the forces of the Genji clan led by Moritsuna SASAKI. In March 1185, the Heike clan was finally defeated at the battle of Dan-no-ura, and Yukinori and his cousins, TAIRA no Sukemori and TAIRA no Arimori, killed themselves by jumping into water and drowning ("Heike Monogatari" [The Tales of the Heike]).

It is said that Yukinori had a boy named Nobumoto (Tokinobu) who sailed to Tanegashima island and became an ancestor of the Tanegashima clan.

[Original Japanese]