Significance of The Straits of Dan-no-Ura

The Straits of Dan-no-Nura, a narrow waterway, are located between the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. The Straits serve as the site of the final, climactic battle between the Taira and the Minamoto during the samurai civil war. It is in the Straits that the Taira are defeated, and the Emperor Antoku and his grandmother drown themselves, taking the imperial sword with them. The battle effectively concludes the civil war, and gives rise to the era of the samurai.