Fought in January 1184 in the defence of ancient Kyoto, this famous influential battle took place on the Uji river.
Samurai warrirs on horseback from both sides confronted each other through and over the very 'swollen' Uji river.
The victorious Samurai army of Minamoto no Yoshitsune regained control of the capital for the ruling Heike family, defeating the unpopular Kiso Yoshinaka.


Urushi Artist – Ikki Moroike
He was born in 1962 in Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan.
After graduating from high school in 1980, he served his apprenticeship with Mr. Ikkou Kiyose a famous Maki-e artist, living in Kanazawa.
He completed his time with Mr. Kiyose in 1986 and started his own business in Kaga City in Ishikawa Prefecture.
He joined the Exhibition of Kanazawa Lacquer Arts and Crafts from 1986 and he won the top honor three times.
He joined the Exhibition of Yamanaka Lacquer Art Craft Maki-e and his five crafts were selected for lifetime awards in Kaga City.
Two of his crafts were also selected to be lifetime awards in Yamanaka town in Ishikawa Prefecture.
He has been awarded the top honor four times so far from the Exhibition of Yamanaka Lacquer Art Craft Maki-e.
His craft was selected at the Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Lacquer Art Craft for the first time in 1988.
In 1994, his craft was exhibited at the Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Lacquer Art Craft and was bought by the Imperial Household Agency.
His craft was selected at the Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Art Craft for the first time in 1996 and he was embraced as a regular member of the Japanese Art Crafts Association in 1999.