Rokuhara Yakata Residences (六波羅館)
Rokuhara yakata is the term for indicating the residences that once existed at the foot of Higashi-yama Mountain as a whole. Initially, the residence of Ise-Heishi (Taira clan) was built there, and then Rokuhara Tandai (an administrative and judicial agency in Rokuhara, Kyoto) used the place after Ise-Heishi was ruined.
Summary
It started with Amida-do Hall (a temple hall enshrining an image of Amitabha, present Joko-in Temple) built by TAIRA no Masamori, and this place became the base of Ise-Heishi.
The area of the residences called Rokuhara yakata was different depending on the era. However, it is considered that in the best era of Ise-Heishi when the clan was most prosperous, the north side border was the street that extended east from Gojo-oji Street (the fifth major east-west street) in Heian-kyo Capital (present Matsubara-dori Street), the east side border was Kuruma-oji Street (literally, a big street for vehicles), and the south side border was the street extended east from Rokujo-oji Street (the sixth major east-west street). The size of the area was about 500 meters north to south, and about 600 meters east to west. The area was surrounded by walls, and inside there were 3,200 or more houses built with 'Izumi-dono,' the residence of the Soryo (government) family, at the center of them. It is said that all of the families and retainers of the Ise-Heishi clan lived there.
According to research by Seiroku OTA, the Izumi-dono residence was much smaller than Shinden-zukuri style residences built before then. Ike-dono, the residence of TAIRA no Yorimori, was located on the south side of the Izumi-dono residence. Izumi-dono was positioned as the residence of the clan head and, therefore, when Kiyomori moved to Fukuhara in 1169, this residence was handed over to TAIRA no Shigemori, his heir. After that, even when Kiyomori visited Kyoto, he did not stay at Izumi-dono but at the residence of his wife, TAIRA no Tokiko, in Nishi-hachijo.
On a related note, in the era of Kiyomori, Hoju-ji Temple where Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa lived existed just on the south side of Rokuhara yakata.