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The Grave of Taira no Masakado, Otemachi, Tokyo
In the tenth century, Masakado led a rebellion and declared himself the new emperor of Japan. The actual emperor responded by putting a bounty on his head and, two months later, Masakado was killed in battle. His decapitated head was put on display in Kyoto as a warning to other would-be rebels.
Masakado's head did not decompose. Three months later, it still looked fresh and alive. One night, the head began to glow, and it lifted into the air and flew off in the direction of the village of Shibasaki (present-day Otemachi), Masakado's hometown. The villagers took the head, cleaned it and buried it at the Kanda Myojin shrine.
The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed the grave and the adjacent Finance Ministry Building. The ministry decided to rebuild on the site of the former grave, but this turned out to be a mistake. The Finance Minister, Seiji Hayami, died and thirteen other officials met similar fates over the next two years. Many workers became ill or were injured in mysterious accidents. The ministry removed the structure they had been building and began annual purification rituals to pacify Masakado's spirit.
In 1945, following World War Two, the US forces occupying Tokyo decided to build a parking lot over the grave. Once again, workers met with a series of suspicious accidents.
In 1961, Japan regained control of the site and the parking lot was removed. The burial site was once more dedicated to Masakado. When new buildings were constructed next to the burial site, however, workers again fell ill. In an attempt to calm the spirit, representatives from local businesses started to pray at the burial site on the 1st and 15th of each month.
In 1987, a string of freak accidents occurred during the filming of Teito Monogatari, a film in which a character attempts to awaken Taira no Masakado's spirit. To prevent accidents on set, it is now common practice for TV and movie producers to pay their respects at the Masakado's burial site before including him in their productions.
Otemachi has grown into a throughly modern centre of journalism and finance and yet, surrounded as it is by skyscrapers on all sides, this little stone monument to a rebel samurai remains and will likely continue to remain because no one wants to anger Makasado's spirit again.
The Grave of Taira no Masakado, Otemachi, Tokyo
In the tenth century, Masakado led a rebellion and declared himself the new emperor of Japan. The actual emperor responded by putting a bounty on his head and, two months later, Masakado was killed in battle. His decapitated head was put on display in Kyoto as a warning to other would-be rebels.
Masakado's head did not decompose. Three months later, it still looked fresh and alive. One night, the head began to glow, and it lifted into the air and flew off in the direction of the village of Shibasaki (present-day Otemachi), Masakado's hometown. The villagers took the head, cleaned it and buried it at the Kanda Myojin shrine.
The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed the grave and the adjacent Finance Ministry Building. The ministry decided to rebuild on the site of the former grave, but this turned out to be a mistake. The Finance Minister, Seiji Hayami, died and thirteen other officials met similar fates over the next two years. Many workers became ill or were injured in mysterious accidents. The ministry removed the structure they had been building and began annual purification rituals to pacify Masakado's spirit.
In 1945, following World War Two, the US forces occupying Tokyo decided to build a parking lot over the grave. Once again, workers met with a series of suspicious accidents.
In 1961, Japan regained control of the site and the parking lot was removed. The burial site was once more dedicated to Masakado. When new buildings were constructed next to the burial site, however, workers again fell ill. In an attempt to calm the spirit, representatives from local businesses started to pray at the burial site on the 1st and 15th of each month.
In 1987, a string of freak accidents occurred during the filming of Teito Monogatari, a film in which a character attempts to awaken Taira no Masakado's spirit. To prevent accidents on set, it is now common practice for TV and movie producers to pay their respects at the Masakado's burial site before including him in their productions.
Otemachi has grown into a throughly modern centre of journalism and finance and yet, surrounded as it is by skyscrapers on all sides, this little stone monument to a rebel samurai remains and will likely continue to remain because no one wants to anger Makasado's spirit again.