Kiyomori decides to move the capital to Fukuhara, which is in present-day Kobe, because it is a traditional power base for him and the Taira family. This is unprecedented since the time of Emperor Kanmu, who took great steps to make sure that the current capital was perfectly situated to endure through the ages. People forced to follow him face emotional turmoil over leaving their homes.
It is autumn and time for moon viewing, so the nobles assembled at the yet-unfinished new capital at Fukuhara scatter to places famous from poetry to appreciate the autumn moon. Sanesada, brother of a former empress, returns to Kyoto to spend the evening with his sister and her women. There, he spends a melancholic evening filled with music and poetry and leaves only reluctantly as dawn approaches. This is a lyrical episode lamenting the physical distance of Fukuhara from the true capital and the increasing cultural distance from the genteel past of the world Kiyomori is creating.
All of the Taira involved with the moving and constructing of the new capital are having nightmares haunt them. Lord Kiyomori has a vision of thousands of skulls outside his door looking at him and tantalizing him. One of Lord Minamoto no Masayori’s houseman has a dream about a council of gods, where the "sword of command is passed from the Itsukushima Deity (tutelary deity of the Taira clan) to Hachiman (tutelary deity of the Minamoto)." This episode strongly foreshadows the death of Kiyomori and the fall of the Taira.
A courier from Oba no Saburo Kagechika (a Taira retainer residing in the eastern provinces) reports of battles against Minamoto no Yoritomo, who had been exiled in Izu following the Heiji rebellion. Yoritomo attacks Taira forces, and although he is not victorious, he escapes and is clearly gaining support from other eastern warrior families, including the Hōjō, who were formerly loyal to the Taira. Kiyomori is furious that he did not execute Yoritomo when he had the chance following the Heiji rebellion.
This episode lists enemies of the realm that have been defeated over the generations. Although imperial foes are purportedly the subject of this episode, it concludes with a felicitous story about a heron submitting to the authority of one of Japan's most beloved former emperors, Daigo.
This episode tells of a time during the Qin Dynasty in China where a sneaky attack to overthrow the emperor was foiled, just as the Taira clan predicted would happen with Minamoto no Yoritomo's plan.
We meet the monk Mongaku of Takao. At the age of 19, he decided to walk the path of enlightenment through ascetic practices. The most impressive was meditation under the Nachi waterfall, which he pursued with such devotion that the deity Fudō sent celestial beings to support him as he fulfilled his vow to mediate there for 21 days. Mongaku was the one, we are told, who urged Yoritomo to start the rebellion against Lord Kiyomori to bring the Minamoto clan back into power. Mongaku's story comprises episodes 7-10 of this Book.
Mongaku vows to rebuild the Jingoji Temple on the Mount Takao, and goes to the estate of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa with a subscription list. The letter urges Go-Shirakawa to give money to Mongaku to help restore the temple.
Mongaku interrupts a song being played by the members of the court when asking for a donation from Go-Shirakawa. A member of the court, Sukeyuki, outraged by Mongaku's impertinence, picks a fight with him. Mongaku immediately defeats him, to Sukeyuki’s embarrassment, and knocks off his court hat, which is a serious offense. Mongaku then fights with a warrior named Ando Migimune; this fight is much more evenly matched but eventually onlookers gang up on Mongaku and throw him out. Mongaku commits more outrages and it imprisoned for his behavior, but he is released shortly thereafter. He uses his newfound freedom to predict the end of the world, which earns him exile to Izu. On the sea journey to Izu, he threatens the storm deities and the journey concludes safely
Mongaku arrives at Izu, where he gets to know Minamoto no Yoritomo. Mongaku convienently has the skull of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Yoritomo's father, with him. He uses the skull to incite Yoritomo to rebellion. Mongaku promises to get a decree from Go-Shirakawa ordering Yoritomo to repulse the Taira, which he accomplishes in a very short eight days. Go-Shirakawa, still under house arrest at the order of Lord Kiyomori, gladly obliges him. Mongaku returns with the decree, which Yoritomo accepts reverently.
Word of Yoritomo’s rebellion reaches Fukuhara, and the nobles there decide to send a force under the command of Koremori and Tadanori. As they’re leaving, Emperor Takakura goes on another pilgrimage to Aki to pray for peace. Koremori reaches the Fuji river with “70,000” men.
When Koremori consults his field commander, the governor of Kazusa, Tadakiyo counsels him to stay put and wait for reinforcements. While waiting, they capture a messenger who tells them that Yoritomo has around “200,000” men under this command; these are Minamoto loyalists who Yoritomo rallied from Kai, Shinano, and Suruga. Realizing their army has arrived too late and with too few men, Koremori summons Saito Sanemori to ask for his opinion. Sanemori, a seasoned veteran, expounds on how strong the Genji (Minamoto) are and tells Koremori that he doesn’t expect to make it home alive. This discourages the Taira warriors, and when night falls the scared foot soldiers mistake campfires set by locals for Minamoto positions and subsequently panic when they hear a flock of birds. This panic turns into a full-scale retreat, and in the morning the Minamoto soldiers attack their position resulting in a decisive rout.
The Taira become a laughingstock because of their retreat, and the commanders the object of lampoons. When the Fukuhara palace is finished, the emperor moves in, but there is no place to hold the formal Thanksgiving Rite, so a much smaller set of ceremonies, including the Gosechi dances and the Festival of First Fruits is performed: this episode underlines the reduction of the court under Kiyomori's capricious control.
Everyone is unhappy with life in Fukuhara, and Kiyomori abruptly decides to return the emperor (Antoku) to Kyoto. Unfortunately, since the return came so soon after the initial move, everything is still a shambles, and aristocrats have to take refuge where they can find it until their homes in Kyoto are rebuilt. Meanwhile the Taira force under Tadanori and Tomomori put down the Minamoto uprising in the province of Omi.
Since the Nara temples had sided with Prince Mochihito and let him take refuge, the monks were now seen as enemies of the court. Kiyomori sends three separate envoys to Nara, all of which are turned back, the final one after the decapitation of 60 members of the envoy's party. Kiyomori then orders Shigehira to attack Nara. The fight goes long into the night and Shigehira orders a fire to be started. The wind blows and carries the fire to the Kōfukuji and Todaiji Temples.
Thousands sought refuge in the temples when the fire starts to spread. over 3,000 people die in the fires inside the temples. Along with the Great Buddha being burned down, historical documents and scriptures were also lost. Every person of the court besides Lord Kiyomori lament the loss of the temples as a great disaster. The episode end with quote written by Emperor Shomu: “As long as my temple flourishes, so shall the realm, in equal measure. Should my temple fall into decline, so, too, will the realm.” Shigehira's responsibility for this fire will be one of the most important crimes recorded in the tale.