The Taiheiki is a chronicle (gunki monogatari) detailing events in medieval Japan. Although around forty chapters long, only the first twelve chapters have been translated into English. (They have also been abridged, because according to the translator, there was a lot of extraneous local history) Anyway, the record opens during the Kamakura period. As in much of Japanese history, the emperor is a puppet controlled by a powerful clan, in this case, the Hojo family, descendants of the Taira, who are based out of Kamakura, meaning it’s quite a commute from there to the capital. Go-Daigo, the emperor, is tired of this, and with the help of his son, the Tendai abbot, loyal retainers, and various opportunists, attempts to strike down the Hojo shogun and take up the reins of the state. After quite a few setbacks, he succeeds in restoring himself to the throne. But, this is only the first twelve chapters. Much of the later story, involving the activity of Ashigaka, a Minamoto descendant who betrays the Hojo to aid the emperor, then turns against the emperor, initiating a split of the Imperial house into Northern and Southern Courts, is missing. In many ways, the story is difficult to follow for those who are not well versed in the history of this time, and unless you’re a Japanese history major, that’s probably you. It’s certainly me.

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