Conflicts & Resolutions · War

Genpei War

1180–1185 · 12th century

The Genpei War was a civil war in Japan between the Taira and Minamoto clans from 1180 to 1185. It ended with the destruction of the Taira at the naval Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185. The victor, Minamoto no Yoritomo, founded the Kamakura shogunate, beginning nearly seven centuries of warrior government.

Genpei War
Image: Motonobu Denkinobu (伝狩野元信) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Ritsuryo JapanKamakura shogunate

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Genpei War. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/genpei-war
MLA
“Genpei War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/genpei-war. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Genpei War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/genpei-war.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Genpei War’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/genpei-war (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻