Minamoto No Yoshitomo - Heiji Rebellion

Heiji Rebellion

Three years later in 1159, Yoshitomo and Fujiwara no Nobuyori placed Go-Shirakawa under house arrest and killed his retainer, the scholar Fujiwara no Michinori, in what is called the Heiji Rebellion. Yoshitomo was angry that the Taira had become the favorite of the imperial court after the Hogen Rebellion despite the sacrifice of the Minamoto. Eventually, Taira no Kiyomori, in support of Go-Shirakawa, defeated Yoshitomo and killed his two eldest sons and Nobuyori, releasing Go-Shirakawa.

After escaping from Kyoto, Yoshitomo was betrayed and killed by a retainer in Owari Province. His remaining sons Yoritomo along with Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Minamoto no Noriyori were later spared and exiled by Kiyomori. It is said that Yoshitomo was killed unarmed while taking a bath at a hot spring. His grave in Aichi Prefecture is surrounded on all sides by wooden swords (bokuto), as by legend his last words were "If only I had even a bokuto...".