At Battle of Kurikara-toge at Mt. Tonami in Ecchu Province (from Oyabe City, Toyama Prefecture to Tsubata-machi, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa Prefecture) Yoshinaka's army defeated a vast force of the Heishi clan, estimated to be a hundred thousand soldiers, led by TAIRA no Koremori; encouraged by this victory Yoshinaka's army rallied warriors en route and advanced toward Kyoto in full force.
5月、越中国砺波山の倶利伽羅峠の戦い（富山県小矢部市-石川県河北郡津幡町）で10万とも言われる平維盛率いる平氏の大軍を破り、勝ちに乗った義仲軍は沿道の武士たちを糾合し、怒濤の勢いで京都を目指して進軍する。