Taira no Masakado: The First Samurai Who Lost His Head and Became a Tokyo Deity
An article delves into the life of Taira no Masakado, a military figure from the 10th century hailing from Shimosa Province and a descendant of Emperor Kanmu. After his unsuccessful attempt to obtain a government role in Kyoto, he returned to the east and amassed power through military actions. The 930s saw an increase in conflicts, resulting in an imperial pardon for his acts of self-defense. By the late 930s, he disregarded official summons and took control of eight out of Japan’s 66 provinces. Labeled a traitor, he met his end in 940 at the hands of a coalition led by Taira no Sadamori and Fujiwara no Hidesato. His head, displayed in Kyoto, gained fame for its refusal to decay, and he later became revered as a protective deity, with his burial mound near Tokyo evolving into a cultural landmark.
Key facts
- Taira no Masakado was a 10th-century military leader in eastern Japan, born in Shimosa Province (modern-day Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures).
- He was a descendant of Emperor Kanmu and served the statesman Fujiwara no Tadahira in Kyoto.
- In the winter of 939, Masakado controlled eight of Japan’s 66 provinces, about 12% of Heian-period Japan.
- Kyoto declared him a traitor and authorized military action; the decisive campaign occurred in 940.
- He was killed in combat, beheaded, and his severed head was publicly displayed in Kyoto.
- Legend states his head flew east and landed near the future site of Edo (modern Tokyo), where it was buried in a memorial mound.
- Religious institutions incorporated him into formal Shinto worship, and he became a protective deity.
- His burial mound is located near the Tokyo Imperial Palace and remains a site of veneration and alleged supernatural incidents.
Entities
Artists
- Taira no Masakado
- Fujiwara no Tadahira
- Taira no Sadamori
- Fujiwara no Hidesato
- Emperor Kanmu
- Kusakabe Kimbei
- Utagawa Kunisada
- Utagawa Hiroshige
- Yoshitoshi Tsukioka
- Kikutake Wakasa
- A.J. Bryant
- Stephen Turnbull
Institutions
- Kyoto imperial court
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- Rijksmuseum
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Wikimedia Commons
- US Library of Congress
- Tokyo Metropolitan Library
- National Diet Library
- Osprey Publishing
- Cassell & Co.
- TheCollector
Locations
- Japan
- Kyoto
- Shimosa Province
- Chiba
- Ibaraki
- Edo
- Tokyo
- Tokyo Imperial Palace
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Boston
- United States