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.