Who was Taira no Masakado?
Taira no Masakado (?–940) was a warrior who wielded great power in the Kanto region in the mid-Heian period. Feuds within his clan led him to rise against the imperial court; he called himself the “New Emperor” and built an almost independent realm in the Kanto, but in 940 he was killed by Fujiwara no Hidesato, Taira no Sadamori and others. After his death, many legends arose about his vengeful spirit, and he is counted with Sugawara no Michizane and Emperor Sutoku as one of the “Three Great Onryo (vengeful spirits) of Japan.”
The head that flew away
Masakado’s head was taken to Kyoto and put on display. But it did not rot even after months, and night after night, eyes wide open, it cried out, “Where is my body? Come here! Join my head back on and let us fight again!” Then one night, the head rose into the sky shining with light and flew off to the east in search of its body. The place where it is said to have fallen is the “Masakado-zuka” (head mound) in Otemachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
The head mound and its curse
The Masakado-zuka still stands among the skyscrapers of Tokyo’s business district. Stories of its “curse” have been passed down: after the Great Kanto Earthquake, officials died one after another when a temporary government office was built on the mound, and accidents occurred when construction work after the war tried to remove it. The mound has been carefully protected ever since. At the same time, Masakado is revered as one of the deities of Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo, the guardian of Edo and protector of the Kanto region.
