Battle of Sunomata-gawa 1181
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1181 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Japan | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Genpei War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 35.3530, 136.6839 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Sunomata-gawa (墨俣川の戦い, Sunomata-gawa no Tatakai) took place in Japan on 6 June 1181 (or by the Japanese calendar, Jishō-5 year, 4-month, 25-day), in the present-day town of Sunomata, Gifu Prefecture. The battle started when Minamoto no Yukiie attempted a sneak attack across the Sunomata River against his enemies during the night. He found Taira no Tomomori and his army directly opposite his, along the Sunomata River, near the borders of Owari and Mino provinces.
The Minamoto warriors waded across, but their ambush failed when the Taira clan could distinguish dry friend from soaking, dripping wet foe, even in the pitch dark of night. Yukiie and a number of other surviving Minamoto were forced back across the river.
After crossing the river, the Minamoto went to the Yahagi River in Mikawa Province, but the Taira chased after them.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Sunomata-gawa (revision 1379171513), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Genpei War
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- Battle of Kinugasa Castle 1180
- Battle of Uji (1180) 1180
- Siege of Nara 1181
- Battle of Kurikara Pass 1183
- Battle of Mizushima 1183
- Battle of Shinohara 1183
- Siege of Fukuryūji 1183
All 19 battles of the Genpei War →
Browse more: battles in Japan · Asia · Medieval battles