Japan History Earlier Nine Years' War, 1051-1062

The Zenkunen War (前九年の役, Zenkunen no Eki), also known in English as the Former Nine Years' War or the Early Nine Years' War, was fought between the Imperial Court and the Abe clan in Mutsu Province, in Northeast Japan, from 1051 to 1062. It resulted in Imperial Court victory and the surrender of Abe no Sadato. Like the other major conflicts of the Heian period, such as the Gosannen War and the Genpei War, the Zenkunen war was a struggle for power within the samurai clans.