Episode Summaries

Episode 1: Giōn Shoja

Centers on the Buddhist truth that “the arrogant do not long endure: They are like a dream one night in Spring."

Traces the history of rebels in China and Japan, concluding with Taira no Kiyomori, who will be the villain of the Heike. See here for a longer discussion of the episode.

Episode 2: The Night Attack on the Palace

Recounts the rise of Kiyomori’s father, Tadamori, who built Tokujōjuin for retired emperor Toba and gained official access to the palace, a privilege reserved for high-ranking aristocrats (he being a warrior, ranked below this level of society). The episode recounts an attempt by disgruntled aristocrats to incite Tadamori to assassinate him during a court ceremony (the Gosechi banquet); he tricks them and is praised by Toba.

Episode 3: The Sea Bass

Recounts, first, Tadamori’s skill as a poet (and his affair with a woman who would bear his son, Tadanori, who also became known as a poet), then a pilgrimage to Kumano by Kiyomori in which a sea bass jumps into his boat on the return trip, and he eats it, seeing this as a sign of the Kumano god’s favor.

Episode 4: The Rokuhara Boys

Recounts Kiyomori’s use of a group of young boys as spies to maintain his power.

Episode 5: One Man's Glory

Recounts Kiyomori’s flowering fortunes; lists the fates of his children. A felicitation.

Episode 6: Giō

The longest episode in the Tale of the Heike. Describes Kiyomori’s capricious amorous attentions for first one shirabyōshi dancer, Giō, and then another, Hotoke (whose name means “Buddha”). This episode appears to have originated outside the Tale of the Heike as a story about how Giō decided to become a nun; it was later incorporated into the Tale and is now one of its best-known episodes. See here (link) for a longer discussion of the episode.

Episode 7: Empress to Two Sovereigns

Recounts the story of Fujiwara no Tashi, who was empress to Emperor Konoe, who died young. After his death, she was summoned back into service by Emperor Nijō. This was frowned upon by everyone, and Tashi herself was mortified to be forced into service/marriage to Nijō.

Episode 8: The Clash Over the Name Plates

Nijō sickens, appoints his infant son, Rokujō, as heir apparent, abdicates, then dies. Traditionally, important temples placed nameplates as part of the funerary rituals at the cemetery. There is an order to this, and the temple Enryakuji (on Mt. Hiei) jumped ahead of Kōfukuji (a temple in Nara, the clan temple of the powerful Fujiwara) in placing their name plates. Two “warrior monks” from Kōfukuji then knock the Enryakuji name plate down.

Episode 9: The Burning of Kiyomizudera

… and so, Enryakuji monks descend from Mt. Hiei and burn down Kiyomizudera, a temple under the general jurisdiction of Kōfukuji ( a very rough equivalent to Catholic churches in a diocese…). Important here is that we see rifts between Kiyomori and his friend/rival Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa (there is a rumor that Go-Shirakawa had incited the monks to attack Kiyomori, which turns out not to be the case) as well as between Kiyomori and his eldest son, Shigemori, here and elsewhere presented as the rational, moral foil to his capricious father.

Episode 10: The Heir Apparent Named

Rokujō, the child emperor, is a puppet; Go-Shirakawa has one of his own sons, Takakura (son of Go-Shirakawa’s beloved consort Kenshunmon-in, who is also the sister of Kiyomori’s head wife) appointed heir apparent. Tokitada, Kenshunmon-in’s older brother, has Kiyomori’s ear, so this appointment looks like a Taira plot to control the throne.

Episode 11: The Collision with the Regent

Shigemori’s headstrong son, Sukemori, won’t get off his horse to let the regent (Fujiwara no Motofusa) pass by. The regent’s men pull Sukemori and his entourage of other young men from their horses. Sukemori returns in shame to Rokuhara. Kiyomori (his grandfather) is livid at the regent; Shigemori (his father) is deeply embarrassed that his son would behave so rudely. Kiyomori ignores Shigemori, and has his men cut off the hair of the regent’s outriders. Shigemori learns of this, fires Kiyomori’s men, and sends Sukemori into exile for a time. Although the regent is elevated to Chancellor, there is much unhappiness about Kiyomori’s power.

Episode 12: Shishi-no-Tani

Takakura, the new emperor comes of age; a daughter of Kiyomori (Kenreimon-in) becomes one of his consorts. Aristocrats jostle for promotions, including Fujiwara no Narichika, who goes so far as to have the Dakini magical rite performed in order to be awarded a high post. This fails, and Taira sons are promoted ahead of others. Narichika vows to bring down the Taira; joining a group of fellow aristocrats, Narichika plans a coup at the Shishi-no-tani residence of the Prelate Shunkan. Go-Shirakawa is among the attendees and implicitly supports the plot.

Episode 13: The Fight over Ugawa

… gives a number of back stories, the most important of which for the plot is: Saikō, a partisan of Go-Shirakawa, had a son named Morotaka. Morotaka was a bad governor: bad manners, rude, oppressive. His brother, Morotsune, was the same. Morotsune disrupted monks at their bath house in Ugawa, bathing himself and his horses in water they had prepared for bathing themselves. The monks complained to Hakusan, the parent temple for Ugawa. Despite being far from Kyoto, the Hakusan monks took their sacred palanquin (which theoretically houses their deity) to Mt. Hiei, right outside of Kyoto.

Episode 14: The Vows

… and were supported by the Mt. Hiei monks, who demanded that the emperor incarcerate Morotsune and exile Morotaka. The episode concludes with a flashback about the regent Moromichi’s mother, who begs the gods of Sannō (at Mt. Hiei) to spare her dying son’s life (he had behaved badly and was dying of divine wrath) for three years. Which they do in return for penitent and charitable acts on her part.

Episode 15: The Palanquins of the Gods

The retired emperor hems and haws, so the monks take their many palanquins to the palace to petition. Kiyomori and his forces protect the palace. Among his generals is Minamoto no Yorimasa, a Minamoto mainline heir who had not, like the rest of his kin, been banished at the end of the Heiji rebellion (1159-60). He manages a dignified defense of his post (doesn’t offend the monks, doesn’t offend Kiyomori); there is much fighting, and the monks are eventually repelled.

Episode 16: The Burning of the Palace

Capital dwellers fear that the monks will return, which they eventually do. They are turned back by Tokitada, who reprimands them for being unrighteous and the victims of “demon powers”. Everyone is impressed that they have enough sense to back down. Later, a fire breaks out in the capital (not arson, but rather an indication of divine censure). It destroys much of the city, reaching even parts of the imperial palace. Thus Book One ends on an ominous note.