Pradawny wojownik, fałszywy cesarz, mściwy demon onryo - Dlaczego grób Taira no Masakado stoi w samym centrum Tokyo?

The grave of a thousand-year-old warrior in the heart of Tokyo

In the heart of Tokyo, the largest and most modern metropolis in the world, in the Otemachi district, between the skyscrapers of giants like Mitsubishi UFJ and Mitsui & Co., in the shadow of gleaming office towers, lies a small but well-maintained grave that is over a thousand years old. This is a place where, for hundreds of years, Japanese people have laid flowers, begged, and apologized. This grave belongs to Taira no Masakado – a samurai who shook Japan over a thousand years ago with his rebellion against the emperor. But this is not the end of his story. After his death, Masakado became something far more than just a rebel – his spirit transformed into a vengeful onryō, whose wrath is still believed to be the cause of numerous disasters that have plagued Tokyo.

Following the story of the samurai Masakado, we will also learn about the world of Japan during the 10th century Heian period, when the emperor's power was undermined by the ambitions of local magnates, and the samurai class was just beginning to form. It was a time of chaos, wars, and betrayals, when distant provinces like Kanto were effectively independent territories ruled by powerful local leaders. It was here that Masakado declared himself emperor, challenging the capital of Kyoto itself, and sparking a series of events that led to his death – and, as legend has it, his revenge from beyond the grave.

But what makes this fallen samurai such a terrifying yōkai to this day? His severed head, meant to be a symbol of defeat, became a source of fear when, according to legend, it came back to life and disappeared, only to reappear hundreds of kilometers away in a village that would soon become the center of the rising Tokyo. Masakado's spirit found no peace – every attempt to disregard his grave, every disturbance to his resting place, resulted in catastrophe: earthquakes, fires, and even fatal accidents. To this day, Masakado's grave in Otemachi, in the very center of Tokyo, remains a place visited by those seeking to appease his wrath, praying that the undead samurai does not bring disaster upon the city. That is why the grave is immovable – even for financial giants like Mitsui and Mitsubishi, and it peacefully remains in the heart of Tokyo.

Let us now discover the story of this extraordinary man, who made his mark on history as a bold samurai, vengeful onryō spirit, powerful yōkai, and even urban legend.

Japan during the Heian period

The Heian period (794–1185) was a time when Japan was ruled by a strong, though isolated from the provinces' problems, imperial power based in the capital of Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto). The emperor and the aristocracy of the Fujiwara clan governed the country, surrounded by luxury, art, and literature. The imperial court flourished in splendor, and imperial officials, dressed in silk robes embroidered with images of blooming cherry blossoms and ume, lived in a world of poetry and tea ceremonies, disconnected from the brutal realities of provincial life. Heian-kyō exuded tranquility, harmony, and refined culture, while hundreds of kilometers away, Japan was sinking into chaos.

In the distant regions, far from the palace walls, in places like Kantō and Mutsu, life was entirely different. Provincial rule was in the hands of local gōzoku (early daimyō) – powerful land-owning clans that increasingly vied for influence and power, ignoring imperial law. The rulers in Heian-kyō were too preoccupied with courtly matters to effectively oversee distant territories, leading to the collapse of central authority. In these peripheral regions, where imperial control was an illusion, a new force was emerging – the samurai.

More precisely, before the term "samurai" became widely used as we know it today, warriors were called by another name – bushi (武士 – "man of arms," meaning warrior). They were a class of warriors who arose from the need to defend local estates and maintain order on vast, often dangerous lands. They fought on behalf of their lords against bandits, rebels, and rival clans. Over time, their influence grew, and loyalty to the emperor was replaced by loyalty to local leaders. Warriors like Taira no Masakado, Taira no Sadamori, and Minamoto no Yoritomo ceased to be merely the emperor's servants – they began to create their own, almost independent kingdoms.

It was during this period, while the emperor in Heian-kyō dreamed of a harmonious world based on Confucian and Buddhist principles, that bloody battles for power and territory were being fought in the provinces. In the fields of Kantō, amid the rustling bamboo forests and vast wetlands, new ambitions were being born – ambitions that would change the face of Japan. The formation of a new order, in which the warrior class grew ever stronger, signaled the gradual decline of imperial power and the beginning of the samurai era.

Who was Masakado?

Taira no Masakado (平将門) was born into the noble Taira clan, whose lineage traced back to Emperor Kanmu himself. His childhood, spent in the family’s affluent estates, was marked not only by privilege but also by the awareness that in the world of politics and war, one had to fight for their place. Masakado was not the firstborn son, so from a young age, he witnessed how his older relatives occupied the most important positions, while he, though brave and talented, remained in their shadow. Tensions within the clan were palpable, and in the corridors of the family mansions and in the courtyards where he practiced with his tachi (the predecessor of the later katana, longer and more curved), he felt the growing tension of the power struggle.

As a young man, Masakado traveled to the capital, Heian-kyō, with ambitions of making a career in the imperial administration. The city dazzled him with its splendor – palaces with gilded roofs, grand ceremonies, and the silk robes of aristocrats. In his eyes, it was the essence of everything he desired. He wanted to secure a prestigious position in the Kebiishi – the elite imperial police responsible for maintaining order in the capital. But despite his talents and noble heritage, the doors to a career remained closed. The imperial court, full of intrigues and deals, was for Masakado like a labyrinth where he could not find his way.

Disappointed, he returned to his homeland in the Kantō region. There, on the vast plains, amid misty forests and wild nature, his life began to take shape. Kantō was a place where imperial control was weak, and local magnates, like Masakado’s family, ruled practically independently. Ambitions among the clans were great, and blood did not always mean loyalty. Soon, Masakado found himself in the center of a storm – his uncles began to undermine his position and his claims to his father’s lands. The conflict with one of them, Taira no Yoshikane, escalated into an open civil war.

The battles were bloody and fierce, but Masakado emerged victorious, though it was not the end. Each subsequent conflict became increasingly brutal, and Masakado grew more ruthless, while his ambitions grew rapidly. However, there was still a bitterness in him – the awareness that his own blood had betrayed him for power and wealth. This sense of betrayal and injustice led him down a path of no return – a path on which he would soon declare himself emperor, challenging all of Japan.

Masakado on the path of war

In the misty fields and lowlands of Kantō, far from the weakening power of the emperor, Masakado could build his own strength. His anger at the relatives who betrayed him, and his frustration with the capital that had closed its doors to him, soon turned into ambition. Masakado knew that he would not be the second member of his clan, living in the shadow of wealthier and more influential relatives – he had a plan. The provinces of Kantō, neglected by the imperial administration, were places full of chaos but also potential.

The rebellion began in 935 when Masakado decided on a brutal act of revenge against his relatives who had taken the lands rightfully his after his father’s death. His uncles, especially Taira no Yoshikane, were the first on his list of enemies. What began as a family dispute over land quickly escalated into something much larger – a regional civil war. Masakado, with his keen warrior and strategist mind, seized every opportunity to gain allies among local magnates and peasants who suffered under the ineffective and corrupt rule of the imperial governors.

At the head of a small army, Masakado embarked on a military campaign that would forever change the fate of the Kantō region. His first battle against enemy forces took place in Makabe, on the border of Hitachi and Shimōsa, where his enemies, the sons of Minamoto no Mamoru, had laid an ambush for him. Despite being outnumbered, Masakado won the victory. Later, with determination and wild passion, he burned the villages of his enemies and looted their estates, spreading fear. The lands of his relatives became the stage for his triumph.

However, what had begun as an act of revenge soon turned into a full-fledged rebellion against imperial power. Masakado knew that his strength lay not only in the number of warriors but in the hearts of the people who saw him as a savior. He was a master of propaganda – presenting himself as a fighter against injustice, opposing the corrupt imperial governors draining the region’s resources. Soon, the people of Kantō began to see Masakado not only as a warrior but as a leader with the potential to unite eastern Japan.

Masakado as emperor of Japan

In 939, after a series of lightning-fast military victories, Taira no Masakado decided to take a step that shook Japan. Having triumphed in battles over the provinces of Shimōsa, Kōzuke, and Shimotsuke, his ambitions now extended beyond family rivalry. Betrayed by his relatives and ignored by imperial power, Masakado decided that the future belonged to him. In an act that was both extraordinary courage and incredible audacity, he declared himself the "new emperor" of Japan. This was the first time in the country’s history that someone had openly challenged the divine authority of the emperor seated in Heian-kyō, claiming that he – Masakado – had the right to rule Japan.

During his "coronation," Masakado proclaimed that his claim to power was not based solely on the strength of his sword but on a divine right bestowed upon him by the sun goddess Amaterasu, considered the ancestor of the imperial line. In this way, Masakado sought to justify his usurpation not just as an act of military force but as the fulfillment of divine destiny. The coronation was a symbolic moment in which Masakado announced a new order for Japan, declaring that the emperor in Heian-kyō had lost his right to rule. He united under his banner eight provinces in eastern Japan, becoming the de facto independent ruler of this part of the country. Thanks to his charisma and strategic skills, he gained support not only among the bushi warriors but also the peasants, who saw him as a savior from corruption and the oppression of imperial governors.

However, this decision was also an unprecedented act of courage that put Masakado on a collision course with the powerful imperial court in the capital and all its supporters. Emperor Suzaku and his advisors, especially from the influential Fujiwara clan, were outraged and immediately took steps to suppress this rebellion. Masakado not only challenged the emperor's authority, but he also defied the entire political system of Japan, which for centuries had been based on the divine lineage of emperors. His rebellion turned into an open war against the entire empire, and his ambitious plan to rule Japan was soon to reach a dramatic conclusion.

The emperor declared him a rebel and a traitor, and his head was priced in gold (specifically 10,000 mon, or 40 ryō of gold – a staggering sum, enough to buy significant landholdings or hire dozens of samurai for a single military campaign).

At the head of the imperial forces stood Masakado's cousin, Taira no Sadamori, whose father had been killed by Masakado. Sadamori sought revenge, and he also wanted to appease the emperor, ensuring that the entire clan would not be punished for Masakado's audacity, but rather just the culprit himself. Fujiwara no Hidesato, a powerful aristocrat with his own interests in ending the rebellion, also joined the imperial forces.

Masakado pays with his head

The final, decisive battle took place on the plains of Shimōsa, near present-day Chiba. Early in the morning, Masakado’s forces, exhausted after a long campaign, faced the armies of Fujiwara and Sadamori. Masakado, as always, stood at the forefront of his men, dressed in full armor, with his tachi in hand and an unrelenting determination etched on his face. Although his forces were fewer in number, they fought with the desperation of those who knew there was no turning back. Masakado, a master strategist, ordered ambushes and quick strikes on the enemy's flanks, hoping to weaken their morale.

However, his opponents were prepared. Fujiwara no Hidesato, an experienced commander, knew that betrayal would be the decisive factor. And betrayal came – several of Masakado’s trusted advisors defected to the enemy, revealing critical information about the rebel's troop positions and strategy. When the battle broke out, Masakado’s army quickly found itself in a trap. Emperor Suzaku had promised gold and land to those who helped quell the rebellion, and suspicion and distrust grew among Masakado’s commanders.

The battle was brutal – the air filled with the clashing of tachi, the breaking of spears, and the cries of the combatants. Masakado, fighting with the fury and bravery for which he was known, still believed he could win. He moved across the battlefield on his horse, leading attacks and personally confronting his enemies. However, just when it seemed that fortune might turn, something happened that sealed his fate.

In the heat of the battle, Masakado was suddenly struck by an arrow – a fatal shot, straight to the forehead (according to the Shōmonki chronicles - 将門記). He fell from his horse, and seeing their leader’s fall, his men began to scatter. Although fierce fighting continued around him, the outcome was already determined. His death was not only the result of the enemy’s military might but also betrayal. Taira no Masakado, the rebel who challenged the empire, died on the battlefield, abandoned by those he trusted.

His severed head was triumphantly transported to Heian-kyō, where Emperor Suzaku ordered it to be publicly displayed. Mounted on a stake, it was meant to serve as a warning to anyone who dared challenge imperial authority. But although Masakado was dead, his spirit found no peace – a legend was born about his wrath.

Masakado as a Yōkai

After the death of Taira no Masakado, Japan found no peace. His severed head, triumphantly transported to the capital, became a symbol of the rebel’s defeat. But what was meant to be a warning to others soon turned into something far more unsettling.

The residents of Heian-kyō began whispering about strange events – Masakado's severed head, instead of decaying like any other, not only retained its menacing expression but reportedly its eyes moved, and its mouth whispered curses. Legend has it that at night, Masakado’s spirit haunted the capital, cursing those who had betrayed him, demanding the retrieval of his body.

However, what truly terrified people happened later. One night, amidst the sound of a storm, Masakado's head broke free from where it was displayed and flew into the air, heading east. It hovered over Japan until it finally came to rest in a small fishing village called Shibazaki (芝崎) – a place that would later become the great city of Edo, and then Tokyo. The local villagers, terrified by what they had found, buried the rebel’s head, surrounding it with special incantations to prevent his return.

Yet Masakado’s spirit was not so easily subdued. Every disaster that befell the residents of Edo – from earthquakes to sudden fires – was attributed to his vengeful spirit. His burial site in the Otemachi district became a center of worship, where people offered sacrifices and prayers to appease the warrior’s wrath. The curses associated with him were powerful – in 1874, when the government ignored his grave and built the Ministry of Finance on the site, the building burned down. Further attempts to disregard the sanctity of Masakado’s grave ended tragically for the city, with the devastating earthquake of 1923 also attributed to Masakado’s angry spirit. And that was not the end – additional attempts to disturb the grave led to mysterious accidents, the deaths of officials, and further disasters.

Masakado's spirit, one of Japan’s three most powerful onryō – vengeful spirits – has inspired fear for centuries. Every few years, whenever his resting place was carelessly or deliberately neglected, catastrophes would follow. In 1940, on the thousandth anniversary of his death, a lightning strike destroyed a nearby building. Since then, in Otemachi, in the heart of modern Tokyo, everyone passes by Masakado’s small, unassuming grave with respect, offering flowers, coins, and sometimes even prayers.

Despite the passage of centuries, Masakado’s spirit still lives on in legends. His wrath remains, and anyone who neglects his cult can expect misfortune. The place where villagers laid his head a thousand years ago has become the center of one of Japan’s most powerful and mysterious cults.

What is Masakado’s vengeful spirit?

Taira no Masakado is a figure whose spirit is interwoven with various traditions in Japanese folklore, making it difficult to classify him definitively. On one hand, many sources refer to him as an onryō (怨霊) – a vengeful spirit who returns after death to seek revenge on those who wronged him, casting curses upon the entire community. His anger, linked to the injustices he suffered in life, fits perfectly into this category.

On the other hand, Masakado is sometimes seen as a yōkai – a supernatural entity whose power exceeds that of ordinary spirits. Although yōkai are usually not associated with specific deceased individuals, legends about Masakado often attribute to him supernatural abilities, such as reanimating his severed head and casting powerful curses. The difficulty in categorizing Masakado reflects his unique position in Japanese folklore – his story blends elements of both traditional vengeful spirits and more mystical, supernatural beings.

Legends about Masakado’s Spirit: Let’s look at three of the most popular ones.

The Legend of Takiyasha-hime and the Skeletal Demon

After the death of Taira no Masakado, his daughter, Takiyasha-hime (hime meaning princess), refused to surrender. Instead of living in the shadow of her father’s defeat, Takiyasha moved to the ruins of her father’s castle in the Shimōsa province. There, among the crumbling walls that had once symbolized Masakado’s power, she devoted herself to studying ancient spells and magic. In legends, she is depicted as a powerful sorceress who, through her supernatural abilities, continued the fight for the freedom of the Kantō region.

According to the stories, Takiyasha was not alone. Her father’s spirit was said to appear in the ruins, giving her strength and guidance on how to continue his work. In a critical moment, when imperial forces began closing in on her stronghold, Takiyasha used an ancient spell to summon a demon – a gigantic, skeletal creature that spread terror among her enemies. It’s worth noting that in Japanese mythology, skeletons are powerful symbols of death and revenge, and Takiyasha, using them, proved her great power.

This legend was immortalized in the famous woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in 1851, where the giant skeleton attacks soldiers who had come to capture Takiyasha. Her figure symbolizes not only strength but also her father’s posthumous desire for revenge.

The Legend of the Harae Ritual

After the great Kantō earthquake in 1923, which devastated much of Tokyo, residents began whispering that the catastrophe was caused by the vengeful spirit of Taira no Masakado. His grave had been neglected for years, and new government buildings were erected on the site where his severed head had been laid to rest. The curse of Masakado began to attract attention, especially after a series of mysterious deaths and accidents involving officials working on the site where his grave once stood. The interpretation of these events was clear – the rebel’s spirit had not found peace.

In response to growing concerns, the Tokyo authorities turned to the priests of the Kanda Myōjin Shrine to perform special purification rituals (祓 – harae). Kanda Myōjin was a shrine long associated with the cult of Masakado, so its priests were responsible for calming his anger. During the ceremony, offerings of rice, sake, and incense were made, and the priests performed complex rituals, reciting ancient incantations meant to appease the vengeful spirit. Additionally, funds were raised to rebuild Masakado’s destroyed grave, restoring it to its rightful honor.

Legends say that after these rituals, Masakado’s spirit stopped haunting Tokyo for a time, and the city’s residents felt relieved. His grave in Otemachi was once again treated with respect, and the priests regularly conducted purification rituals to prevent further misfortunes. Nevertheless, it was believed that any attempt to disturb the site – whether through construction or neglecting his cult – could awaken the wrath of a warrior who had never forgotten the betrayals he suffered in life.

The Legend of Masakado’s Transformation into a Protective Deity

According to this legend, after centuries of curses and vengeful hauntings in Tokyo, Taira no Masakado’s spirit attained an unexpected status. Instead of remaining merely an onryō (vengeful spirit), Masakado was recognized as a kami, a protective deity, worshiped at the Kanda Myōjin Shrine. The story goes that the residents of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) began to see Masakado not only as a spirit filled with anger but also as a patron who could protect them if properly honored.

These beliefs strengthened, particularly during the Edo period (1603–1868), when Masakado was officially incorporated into the pantheon of deities at Kanda Myōjin. This shrine, located near Edo Castle, was one of the most important places of worship for samurai, artisans, and merchants. Masakado, the former rebel, became a symbol of the city’s protection, and his spirit, once feared, was now invoked to safeguard against disasters and calamities.

However, the legend states that for Masakado to fulfill his role as a protective deity, regular rituals and offerings were needed. Therefore, the residents of Edo organized grand festivals where offerings were made, and prayers for his favor were offered. To this day, the Kanda Matsuri, one of the largest festivals in Japan, takes place in mid-May during odd-numbered years, honoring the deities of Kanda Myōjin, including Taira no Masakado. Through these rituals and regular celebrations, Masakado’s vengeful tendencies were believed to be soothed, allowing him to become the guardian of the capital and protect it from disasters.

The Story Lives On

Taira no Masakado is a figure whose influence extends far beyond the pages of historical chronicles. His life and death not only reflect the turbulent political reality of the Heian period but also the deep roots of Japanese culture, where spirits of the past continue to have a tangible influence on contemporary culture. Masakado, who started his path as an ambitious warrior striving for power, became a symbol of both rebellion and the power of unquenched anger. After death, he transformed into an onryō – a vengeful spirit whose legend lives on and continues to reappear in video games and films.

For the modern residents of Tokyo, Masakado is not just a figure from distant history. His grave in Otemachi, surrounded by skyscrapers, stands not only as a reminder of past events but also as a symbol of respect for tradition. A tradition that even corporations like Matsui fear to disturb. The grave remains steadfast in the heart of one of the most expensive districts in one of the world’s most expensive cities, where the price of such property reaches absolutely astronomical amounts. And it will likely stand for a long time to come.

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