Taira no Narimori (平業盛)
TAIRA no Narimori (around 1169 - March 20, 1184) was the third son of TAIRA no Norimori. His brothers included TAIRA no Michimori, TAIRA no Noritsune and a priest Chukai. His official court rank was Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and kurodo (imperial archives keeper).
Taking advantage of his family background that his father Norimori was a younger brother of TAIRA no Kiyomori, he succeeded in life by being appointed as a court official despite his young age amid the golden age of the Taira clan government.
However, when the Taira family was driven from the capital by MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka in July 1183, Narimori accompanied them with his father and older brothers.
Narimori, who was defending the camp established near mountains with his older brothers, was killed by the army commanded by MINAMOTO no Noriyori on February 7, 1184 in the Battle of Ichinotani. According to "Heike Monogatari" (The Tale of the Heike), Narimori was killed by Shigeyuki TSUCHIYA, an inhabitant of Hitachi Province.
"Genpei Seisuiki" (The Rise and Decline of the Minamoto and Taira clans) describes the Narimori's death in further detail as follows. The Taira's army, which was plunged into chaos by a surprise attack called "Hiyodorigoe no sakaotoshi" that was commanded by MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune, started fleeing to their fleet waiting on the sea. When Narimori lingered on the seashore on horseback, Shiro-Yoshiyasu DOROYA pounced on him. After being thrown off their horses, both of them scuffled with each other, rolling over and over. In the end, they fell into an old well. When Narimori sat astride Shiro and tried to cut off his head, Goro DOROYA who came to help Shiro threw his arms around Narimori's kabuto (helmet). Trying to wrench himself from Goro, Narimori flung Goro away with his kabuto. However, Narimori had already been wounded. Goro got up and killed Narimori, and then pulled his older brother up from the old well. It is said that the physical strength of Narimori at the young age of seventeen impressed people.
According to "Azuma Kagami" (a chronicle of the early history of the Kamakura Bakufu), Narimori's older brothers Michimori and Noritsune were also killed in this battle. As for Noritsune, there is a theory that he survived the battle, which is introduced in "Gyokuyo" (Diary of Kanezane KUJO) and so on. According to martial tales such as "Heike Monogatari" and "Genpei Seisuiki," Noritsune participated actively in subsequent battles, The Battles of Yashima and The Battle of Dannoura.
On February 13, the head of Narimori was exposed in Kyoto with other heads of the Taira clan killed in the Battle of Ichinotani.