My son, the preacher: Taira no Shigemori, the admonition, and the Engyobon 'Tale of the Heike'

There are few characters in the Tale of the Heike as compelling as Taira no Shigemori. While he is only briefly at the center of the action in the tale, his appearance is marked by his piety, his loyalty, and his calm demeanor, making him a perfect foil for his tempestuous father, Kiyomori. However, just how close is the character in the Heike to the historical Taira no Shigemori, and what can explain the differences?;The objective of this paper is to shed light on the path from the historical to the fictional Taira no Shigemori. Using the historical record and consulting other studies, I will show how Shigemori served as an ambassadorial figure between his father and the Retired Sovereign Go-Shirakawa, and that this was the inspiration for the authors to turn Shigemori into the idealized advisor and preacher that he in turn becomes.