Taira no Tokiko and the young Emperor Antoku
In Yoshitsune (2005 NHK Taiga Drama), the series traces the rise of Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159–1189), the brilliant commander whose campaigns ultimately bring the Taira (Heike) clan to ruin. By the climactic naval battle of Dan‑no‑ura, the Taira understand that defeat was inevitable.
Keiko Matsuzaka portrays Taira no Tokiko, grandmother to the young Emperor Antoku. Facing capture by Minamoto forces, Tokiko chooses to protect the imperial dignity in the only way she believes remains. When the six‑year‑old emperor asks where they are going, she comforts him with a final, poetic vision: that beneath the waves lies another capital, “In the depths of the ocean, there is a kingdom.”
Spoiler: Holding Antoku close and carrying the Sacred Sword, one of the Three Imperial Regalia, Tokiko steps into the waters of the Shimonoseki Strait and disappears beneath the sea.