The New Tale of Taira

In the New Tale of Taira, Shin Heike Monogatari, Eiji Yoshikawa tells the story of Japan's significant transformation from a civilian aristocratic society to a new samurai era at the end of the 12th century.
The Taira tribe's master, Tadamori Taira, serves Japan's most powerful person, the retired emperor Toba, as the guard chief. Tadamori has earned the trust of the former emperor through his potent weapons and unique personality. This trust is a significant aspect of their relationship, which one gains slowly. However, despite this, his tribe is poor and discriminated against by the nobles. Tadamori's eldest son, Kiyomori, the novel's hero, is twenty. The oppression of the samurai by Fujiwara's family annoys Kiyomori greatly. Resistance to the nobility slowly germinates in Kiyomori's consciousness. With unwavering patience, he awaits his chance, which is yet to come. The nobles become entangled in intriguing power struggles over the choice of the first lady and the succession to the throne.

The evil left-side minister, Yorinaga Fujiwara, and the abdicated emperor, Sutoku, rebelled against Goshirakawa and the former emperor Toba's mistress, Mifukumonin. The insurgents lost the Hogen War. Political power shifted to the winners of the Hogen Rebellion, the lower secretary, Shinzei Fujiwara. The young nobleman, Nobuyori Fujiwara, believed Shinzei did not take him seriously. The head of the Minamoto tribe, Yoshitomo, felt inferior to Kiyomori Taira in the new government. Nobuyori and Yoshitomo imprisoned the emperor Nijo and the abdicated emperor Goshirakawa. They dared to overthrow the government. The two samurai tribes, Taira and Minamoto, fought the Heiji battle. The Fujiwara aristocracy, who had dominated politics for over 400 years, relinquished its power. Kiyomori Taira defeated Yoshitomo Minamoto. Kiyomori became the new powerful man in the government. The aristocratic Heian era came to an end.

In this book, you read Kiyomori Taira in his prime, aged between forty and fifty. He had eliminated his military rival, Yoshitomo Minamoto. Yoshitomo's beautiful mistress, Tokiwa, turned herself in at Rokuhara. Kiyomori pardoned her little boys from the death penalty. Kiyomori fell in love with Tokiwa, and Tokiwa loved him. Nevertheless, Kiyomori only visited her once at home. Tokiwa married a nobleman and overcame Konnomaru's accusation of infidelity to her husband.
Kiyomori showed not only his military but also his political qualities. The most powerful politician in Japan, Goshirakawa, saw his politics as safe only with Kiyomori's army in the background. Goshirakawa deliberately tied Kiyomori to his side. Kiyomori used the favorable situation to support the political upswing of Taira. Kiyomori's brothers, sons, and tribe members occupied essential positions in the state. Goshirakawa appointed him to the highest office of a subject, prime minister. Goshirakawa married Shigeko, Kiyomori's sister-in-law. She

Kiyomori's power seemed unshakeable. But Yoshitomo Minamoto's youngest son was growing up. Kiyomori had given Ushiwaka to the Kuramadera temple for supervision when he was still a baby. Ushiwaka turned fifteen. He was a wild boy with intelligence and strong will. He longed for his mother, Tokiwa. Minamoto's young samurai in the underground raised Ushiwaka with care. They told him again and again about Minamoto's ignominious defeat and the tragic death of his father. Ushiwaka escaped from Kurama and wandered through Eastern Japan. He called himself the Ninth Son Yoshitsune. He became acquainted with society and came to Hiraizumi in Michinoku.
Yoshitomo's other son, Yoritomo, had been serving his banishment in Izu Province for eighteen years. He practiced a religious, monotonous life. There, Yoritomo met the daughter of the local lord, Tokimasa Hojo. Masako was a spirited, headstrong woman who had grown up in the Land of Fire. This love would change the country.
Meanwhile, in Kyoto, the dispute between Goshirakawa and Enryakuji escalated into a demonstration of power. The monk from Musashi Province, Benkei, entered the novel.