Taira in the context of "Kugyō"

Heian-kyō (平安京; lit. "peaceful/tranquil capital") was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the de jure capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180.

Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, moving the Imperial Court there from nearby Nagaoka-kyō at the recommendation of his advisor Wake no Kiyomaro and marking the beginning of the Heian period of Japanese history. According to modern scholarship, the city is thought to have been modelled after the urban planning for the Tang dynasty Chinese capital of Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an). It remained the chief political center until 1185, when the samurai Minamoto clan defeated the Taira clan in the Genpei War, moving administration of national affairs to Kamakura and establishing the Kamakura shogunate.

Minamoto no Yoshinaka (源 義仲; Japanese pronunciation: [mʲi.na.mo.to no (|) jo.ɕiꜜ.na.ka], 1154 – February 21, 1184), also known as Kiso Yoshinaka (木曾 義仲), was a Japanese samurai lord mentioned in the epic poem The Tale of the Heike. A member of the Minamoto clan, he was a cousin and later rival of shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and the Taira clans in the late Heian period.

Taira no Tokiko (平 時子; 1126–1185) was a Japanese aristocrat from the Heian period. She was the concubine of Taira no Kiyomori, mother of Taira no Tokuko, and grandmother of Emperor Antoku. Later she took the vows to become a nun, after which she was generally referred to by her Buddhist name as the "Nun of the Second Rank" (二位尼, Nii no Ama).

After Kiyomori's death in 1181, Tokiko's son, Taira no Munemori, became the head of the Taira clan. After this, she became the representative pillar of the Taira clan. According to The Tale of the Heike, Taira no Tokiko drowned herself during the Battle of Dan-no-ura together with her grandson, Taira no Tokushi.

Prince Mochihito (以仁王, Mochihito-ō) (died June 1180), also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto no Mochimitsu (源 以光), was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War.

Believing that Taira no Kiyomori was causing suffering, Mochihito supported the Minamoto clan in their conflict against the Taira. At the same time, Minamoto no Yorimasa led the Minamoto clan in supporting Mochihito's bid for the Imperial Throne. In May 1180, Yorimasa sent out a call to other Minamoto leaders, and to the monasteries (Enryakuji, Miidera and others) that Kiyomori had offended; he asked for aid against the Taira, in the name of Prince Mochihito.

Oichi (お市; 1547 – June 14, 1583) was a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who became prominent figures in their own right – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu and Oeyo. Oichi was the younger sister of Oda Nobunaga; and she was the sister-in-law of Nōhime, the daughter of Saitō Dōsan. She was descended from the Taira and Fujiwara clans.

She was an influential figure in Japanese history in the Sengoku period. Although remembered mainly for her tragic life as sister of Oda Nobunaga, Japan's first unifier since Ōnin War, Oichi is also famous for her honorable conduct, her beauty and determination. She was present at two historically significant battles, the siege of Odani and the siege of Kitanosho, sieges that led to the extermination of the powerful Azai and Shibata clan, respectively.