Battle of Kurikara The battle of Kurikara , also known as the battle of Tonamiyama ( 砺波山 ) , was a crucial engagement in Japan ' s Genpei War ; in this battle the tide of the war turned in the favor of the Minamoto clan . Background . Minamoto no Yoshinaka , commander of a contingent of warriors from Shinano province , raided Taira lands several years earlier , before his raids and the war itself , were put on hold on account of two years of famine . As conditions improved in 1183 , the Taira sought retribution against Yoshinaka . Taira no Koremori , son of Taira no Shigemori and grandson of the late Taira no Kiyomori , took charge of this operation , backed by Michimori , Tadanori , Tomonori , Tsunemasa and Kiyofusa . Their forces severely reduced by battle and famine , the Taira sought to recruit warriors from the surrounding lands and did so at the risk of further famine , since many of these warriors were farmers leaving their land . Although some chronicles list their numbers as exceeding 100 , 000 , this is a highly unlikely number and other , more reliable sources have estimated it as being closer to 40 , 000 . Minamoto no Yoritomo , Yoshinaka ' s cousin , moved to fight him for dominance of the clan in March 1183 , but was convinced to stand down and withdraw by Yoshinaka , who argued that they should be united against the Taira . To ensure his intentions , Yoshinaka also sent his son , Yoshitaka , to Kamakura as a hostage . Shortly afterwards , Yoshinaka received news of Koremori ' s army , and moved to engage him , along with his uncle Minamoto no Yukiie and so - called " shitennō " , his four most loyal retainers : Imai Kanehira , Higuchi Kanemitsu , Tate Chikatada and Nenoi Yukichika . Battle . Approaching the mountain passes which connect western Honshū to the east , Koremori split his forces in two , one part taking the Kurikara Pass up to Tonamiyama , the other entering Etchū Province through Noto Province to the north . Minamoto no Yoshinaka , seeing the Taira forces coming up the pass , displayed a large number of white flags ( white was the Minamoto clan color ) , on a hill a few kilometers away to trick his enemies into believing that his force was larger than it really was . This was a delaying tactic , aimed at keeping the Taira atop the pass until night fell , so that the second part of his strategy could fall into place . He divided his own forces into three , sending one group to attack the Taira from the rear , a second beneath the Pass , as an ambush party ; the third he accompanied and held centrally . In order to conceal these movements , Yoshinaka sought to distract his enemy with a highly formal battle , beginning with archery exchanges using whistling - bulb arrow s . This was followed by individual duels , to which the Taira gladly indulged , in the hopes of earning their individual places in the chronicles and epic poetry which were sure to follow such a war . Meanhwhile , Yoshinaka ' s armies moved into position , and as the sun set , the Taira turned to find behind them a Minamoto detachment , holding far more flags than a single detachment should merit , giving the illusion of greater numbers . Yoshinaka ' s central force , having gathered a herd of oxen , now released them down the pass , directly into the Taira army , with lit torches tied to their horns . Many of the Taira warriors charged into the herd , while many others were simply knocked off the path , to their deaths in the rocky crags far below . Many more tried to retreat , but became lost in the various paths , meeting their deaths at the hands of Minamoto warriors lying in wait for them , or falling into various gorges and the lake . The surviving Taira , confused , demoralized , and having suffered heavy losses , fled . This was a major victory for the Minamoto , leading to the Taira abandonment of Kyoto . A few months after the battle of Kurikara , the Taira , along with Emperor Antoku , retreated to Shikoku .