was a
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
provincial magnate (''
gōzoku
, in Japanese, refers to powerful regional families. In historical context, it can refer to powerful non-royal families regardless of their area of influence, in contrast to the Imperial Family. The most powerful ''gōzoku'' families of the Yamat ...
'') and
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
based in
eastern Japan, notable for leading the first recorded uprising against the central government in
Kyōto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
.
Early life
![Emperor Kammu large](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Emperor_Kammu_large.jpg)
Masakado was one of the sons of
Taira no Yoshimasa
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divide ...
(平良将), also known as Taira no Yoshimochi (平良持),
of the Kanmu
Taira clan
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...
(''Kanmu Heishi''), descendants of
Emperor Kanmu
, or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the sco ...
(reigned 781-806) who were demoted from princely to commoner status and granted the Taira surname. Yoshimochi was one of the sons of
Prince Takamochi, a grandson or great-grandson of Kanmu who was appointed the vice-governor of
Kazusa Province
was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture. The province was located in the middle of the Bōsō Peninsula, whose name takes its first ''kanji'' from the name of Awa Province and its second from Kazusa and Shimōsa province ...
(modern central
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
) in 889 (
Kanpyō 1). Takamochi's sons who joined him there occupied a variety of provincial offices in the eastern part of the country such as that of ''
chinjufu shōgun'', the
commander-in-chief of the defense garrison (''chinjufu'') in
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture.
Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the comb ...
tasked with subjugating the
Emishi peoples of the north.
Not much is known of Masakado's birth and early life due to lack of written evidence. The genealogical record ''
Sonpi Bunmyaku is a Japanese genealogical text. Originally written by Tōin Kinsada in the late 14th century, it was either 15 or 16 volumes in length. This was followed by re-edited editions eventually bringing the text to thirty volumes in length. The full tit ...
'' (compiled 1377-1395) identifies Masakado as the third of Yoshimochi's eight sons, while the genealogy of the
Sōma clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan who ruled the northern Hamadōri region of southern Mutsu Province in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan for over 700 years, from the Kamakura period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The Sōma claimed de ...
(an offshoot of the
Chiba clan
The Chiba clan (千葉氏 ''Chiba-shi'') was a Japanese ''gōzoku'' and samurai family descending from the Taira clan. The clan was founded by Chiba Tsunetane, the son of Taira no Tadatsune. The Chiba governed in Shimōsa Province, and the clan w ...
, who were descended from Masakado's uncle
Yoshifumi), the ''Sōma Keizu'' (相馬系図), identifies him as the second of seven sons.
The latter text also claims that he was nicknamed Sōma no Kojirō (相馬小次郎, ''Kojirō'' meaning "little second son") during his childhood, suggesting that he was raised in the district of Sōma (
相馬郡) in
Shimōsa Province
was a province of Japan in the area modern Chiba Prefecture, and Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shimōsa''" in . It lies to the north of the Bōsō Peninsula (房総半島), whose name takes its first ''kanji'' from ...
(part of modern southwest
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
and northwest Chiba Prefecture),
[Friday, Karl (2008). ''The First Samurai: The Life and Legend of the Warrior Rebel, Taira Masakado''. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 39-40.] though the factuality of this information has been disputed.
Masakado's mother is sometimes identified as the daughter of a certain Agata (no) Inukai no Harue (県犬養春枝), perhaps a local magnate from Sōma District.
Masakado's year of birth is also unclear. Accounts of his exploits in the mid-930s suggest that his children were young enough to be still in the care of their mother, which may imply that he was born sometime around 900.
Later legend portrays Masakado as the reincarnation of scholar and politician
Sugawara no Michizane
was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian Period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent poet, particularly in Kanshi poetry, and is today revered in Shinto as the god of learning, . In the poem anthology ''Hyakunin Isshu'', he is known ...
(later deified as the god
Tenjin), who died in 903 (
Engi
, also known as Entertainment Graphic Innovation, or Studio ENGI, is a Japanese animation studio founded by Kadokawa, Sammy Corporation, and Ultra Super Pictures, and is a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation.
History
On April 4, 2018, Kadokawa e ...
3).
At some point in his late teens, Masakado went to the capital city of
Heian-kyō
Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180.
Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...
(
Kyōto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
) and served in the household of the
imperial regent Fujiwara no Tadahira
was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tadahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915).
He is also known as ''Teishin-Kō'' (貞信公) or ''Ko-ichijō Dono'' ( ...
. He is said to have aspired for a position within the imperial police force, the ''
Kebiishi'', but failed to obtain court rank or any significant office in spite of his credentials and his patron's high status.
The Jōhei-Tengyō Rebellion
Beginning of hostilities (931-936)
![Sagami Jiro and Taira no Masakado Attacking an Opponent on Horseback LACMA M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Sagami_Jiro_and_Taira_no_Masakado_Attacking_an_Opponent_on_Horseback_LACMA_M.84.31.433.jpg)
Disagreement exists about the exact cause of Masakado's rebellion. While some sources portray the uprising as revenge for his failure to secure a government post,
the ''Shōmonki'' (将門記, also read as ''Masakadoki''), an anonymous
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
on Masakado's life believed to have been completed as early as the 940s, suggests that the conflict originally began in 931 (
Jōhei
, also romanized as Shōhei, was a after ''Enchō'' and before ''Tengyō.'' This period spanned the years from April 931 through May 938. The reigning emperor was .
Change of era
* January 22, 931 : The new era name was created to mark an event ...
1) as a dispute between Masakado, freshly returned from Heian-kyō, and his paternal uncle
Taira no Yoshikane
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided i ...
(平良兼) over a woman.
The identity of this woman is uncertain, though one theory suggests that it may have been a daughter of Yoshikane who married her cousin and apparently went to live with him against her father's wishes (aristocratic marriages during the Heian period were usually
matrilocal
In social anthropology, matrilocal residence or matrilocality (also uxorilocal residence or uxorilocality) is the societal system in which a married couple resides with or near the wife's parents. Thus, the female offspring of a mother remain l ...
: the wife continued to reside with her parents while the husband either moved in with his wife's family or simply visited her).
Besides this affront to his honor, Masakado not obtaining any post or rank in the capital might have been another factor in Yoshikane's opposition to the marriage.
Another theory based on folk tradition meanwhile suggests that Masakado and Yoshikane quarreled over a daughter of
Minamoto no Mamoru (源護), former senior secretary (大掾, ''daijō'') of
Hitachi Province
was an old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture.Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa Province, S ...
who had married off his daughters to Masakado's uncles, Yoshikane among them.
On the other hand, the ''
Konjaku Monogatarishū
, also known as the , is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian period (794–1185). The entire collection was originally contained in 31 volumes, of which 28 remain today. The volumes cover various tales fr ...
'' (ca. 1120) gives another reason for the conflict, namely that Masakado's uncles had appropriated the
lands
Land is the solid surface of the Earth that is not covered by water.
Land, lands, The Land, or the Lands may also refer to:
Entertainment and media Film
* ''Land'' (1987 film), a British television film by Barry Collins
* ''Land'' (2018 film), ...
the young man was supposed to inherit from his late father. Masakado's uncle
Taira no Kunika
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided i ...
(平国香), who as Takamochi's eldest son was the head of the clan, might have tried to take over his younger brother Yoshimochi's property and place it under his control. Kunika, like Yoshikane, was related by marriage ties to Mamoru, who would eventually become involved in the conflict.
In the 2nd month of 935 (Jōhei 5), Masakado and his men were ambushed by Mamoru's three sons,
Tasuku, Takashi, and Shigeru, at a place called Nomoto (野本) in the
district of Makabe (
真壁郡), near the border between Hitachi and Shimōsa (modern
Chikusei, Ibaraki), but managed to repel their attack; the three brothers all died in the battle. In retaliation, Masakado then burned and ransacked the houses of Tasuku's supporters across southwestern Hitachi. Kunika also died during this conflict, under circumstances not entirely clear: he may have either been killed during the skirmish at Nomoto or when Masakado set fire to his residence.
![Yōshū Chikanobu Takiyasha-hime](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Y%C5%8Dsh%C5%AB_Chikanobu_Takiyasha-hime.jpg)
On the 21st day of the 10th month of the same year,
Taira no Yoshimasa
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divide ...
(平良正), Masakado's paternal uncle or cousin who was also related by marriage to Mamoru, seeking to avenge the deaths of Kunika and Mamoru's sons, faced Masakado in battle in the village of Kawawa (川曲村) in western Hitachi (identified with the town of
Yachiyo, Ibaraki
) but Masakado once again proved the victor: more than sixty of Yoshikane's men were killed while the rest dispersed.
[Stramigioli, Giuliana (1973). "Preliminary Notes on Masakadoki and the Taira no Masadado Story". ''Monumenta Nipponica''. 28 (3): 272–275.]
After his humiliating defeat, Yoshimasa called to Yoshikane - now the vice-governor of Kazusa Province - for aid, who then gathered a large number of warriors from Kazusa and Shimōsa such that officials from the two provinces initially attempted to prevent their dispatch (Such protests were later withdrawn after the issue was deemed to be a private matter beyond the sphere of state affairs). On the 26th day of the 6th month of 936 (Jōhei 6), Yoshikane led his massive army to Hitachi, where he joined forces with Yoshimasa and Kunika's son
Sadamori (who had been in the capital when his father was killed and initially took a neutral stance), whom he had prevailed upon to take part in the attack against Masakado. They made contact at the border between Hitachi and
Shimotsuke (modern
Tochigi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...
) with Masakado, who went there to verify reports about a plan to launch a joint attack on him from the north. Despite only having about a hundred poorly-equipped soldiers with him, Masakado inflicted heavy casualties upon his enemies' several thousand strong army. Scattered and thrown into confusion, Yoshikane and the remnants of his forces fled to the
provincial headquarters of Shimotsuke, Masakado pursuing them. Although he managed to surround his uncle in the governmental offices, Masakado, seemingly concerned about subsequent censure should he kill Yoshikane then and there, allowed him to escape through a gap in his western line. He then filed a formal grievance with the provincial authorities in neighboring provinces before returning to his territory.
[Farris, William Wayne (2020). ''Heavenly Warriors: The Evolution of Japan’s Military, 500–1300''. Brill. pp. 136–137.]
Not long after his victory, Masakado received a summons from the imperial court because of a complaint lodged against him by Minamoto no Mamoru over the battle at Nomoto. Masakado then hurried to the capital to give an account of himself; his lord, Fujiwara no Tadahira, probably intervened in the case and helped lighten his punishment. He was eventually pardoned early the following year (937 / Jōhei 7) when a general
amnesty
Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...
was declared at the occasion of
Emperor Suzaku
was the 61st emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 朱雀天皇 (61)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Suzaku's reign spanned the years from 930 through 946.
Biography
Before his ascension of the Chrys ...
's coming of age (''
genpuku
is a Japanese coming-of-age ceremony which dates back to Japan's classical Nara Period (710–794 AD). /sup> This ceremony marked the transition from child to adult status and the assumption of adult responsibilities. The age of participat ...
'').
Masakado and Yoshikane (937-938)
Anxious to avenge his defeat, Yoshikane almost immediately recommenced hostilities upon Masakado's return. He first launched an attack on Masakado at the
Kogai River near the border between Shimōsa and Hitachi while displaying portraits of Yoshimochi and Takamochi (Masakado's father and grandfather) in front of his vanguard. This ploy succeeded in weakening the morale of Masakado and his men, who "withdrew, carrying their shields." (''Shōmonki'') Afterwards, Yoshikane burned a critical stable and some houses at Masakado's base in Toyoda District (
豊田郡) in Shimōsa to weaken his ability to make war. Masakado launched a counterattack some days later, but was again defeated due to being struck by a severe pain in his legs (thought to be due to
beriberi
Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, r ...
). During his retreat, Masakado had his wife (Yoshikane's daughter) and children flee by boat for their safety, but Yoshikane discovered them and carried them off to Kazusa. The woman's brothers eventually allowed them to escape back to Masakado.
Death
In 939 (
Tengyō
was a after ''Jōhei'' and before ''Tenryaku.'' This period spanned the years from May 938 through April 947. The reigning emperors were and .
Change of era
* February 2, 938 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. ...
''2, 12th month''), Masakado led a minor rebellion which is also known as ''
Tengyō no Ran
The ("War in the Tengyō era" or "Tengyō Disturbance"), or Jōhei Tengyō no Ran refers to the name of a brief medieval Japanese conflict, in which Taira no Masakado rebelled against the central government. He was defeated after 59 days of figh ...
.'' The armed struggle began when Masakado led an attack on an outpost of the central government in
Hitachi Province
was an old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture.Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa Province, S ...
, capturing the governor. In December of that year, he conquered
Shimotsuke and
Kōzuke Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today Gunma Prefecture. Kōzuke bordered by Echigo, Shinano, Musashi and Shimotsuke Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, Kōzuke was ran ...
s; and he claimed the title of Shinnō (New
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
).
The central government in
Kyōto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
responded by putting a
bounty
Bounty or bounties commonly refers to:
* Bounty (reward), an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for a specific task done with a person or thing
Bounty or bounties may also refer to:
Geography
* Bounty, Saskatchewan, a g ...
on his head, and fifty-nine days later his cousin
Taira no Sadamori
Taira no Sadamori (平 貞盛)(10th century) was a samurai of the Taira clan who was involved in suppressing the revolt of Taira no Masakado in the 930s-940. He was the son of Taira no Kunika and grandson of Taira no Takamochi, the founder of the ...
, whose father Masakado had attacked and killed, and
Fujiwara no Hidesato
, was a '' kuge'' (court noble) of tenth century Heian period Japan. He is famous for his military exploits and courage and is regarded as the common ancestor of numerous clans, including the Ōshū branch of the Fujiwara clan.
Hidesato served u ...
, killed him at the Battle of Kojima (
Shimōsa Province
was a province of Japan in the area modern Chiba Prefecture, and Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shimōsa''" in . It lies to the north of the Bōsō Peninsula (房総半島), whose name takes its first ''kanji'' from ...
) in 940 and took his head to the capital.
Aftermath
The head found its way to Shibasaki, a small fishing village on the edge of the ocean and the future site of
Edo
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
, which later became
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. It was buried. The ''
kubizuka
Kubizuka (首塚, literally ''neck mound'' in Japanese, often translated as ''head tomb'') is a burial mound built in Japan with purpose of rest for the souls whose heads were severed because they were killed in battles and fights, captured, or pun ...
'', or grave, which is located in the present day
Ōtemachi
is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is located north of Tokyo Station and Marunouchi, east of the Imperial Palace, west of Nihonbashi and south of Kanda. It is the location of the former site of the village of Shibazaki, the most a ...
section of Tokyo, was on a hill rising out of
Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous a ...
at the time. Through land reclamation over the centuries, the bay has receded some three kilometers to the south.
Deification
When Masakado was preparing for his revolt, a vast swarm of butterflies appeared in
Kyōto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
, a portent of the upcoming battle.
Over the centuries, Masakado became a
demigod
A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...
to the locals who were impressed by his stand against the central government, while at the same time feeling the need to appease his
malevolent spirit
In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crema ...
. The fortunes of Edo and Tokyo seemed to wax and wane correspondingly with the respect paid to the shrine built to him at the ''kubizuka'' — neglect would be followed by natural disasters and other misfortunes. Hence, to this day, the shrine is well maintained, occupying some of the most expensive land in the world in Tokyo’s financial district facing the Imperial Palace.
Other shrines which he is
deity
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
of include (located in
Kanda
Kanda may refer to:
People
* Kanda (surname)
*Kanda Bongo Man (born 1955), Congolese soukous musician
Places
*Kanda, Tokyo, an area in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
**Kanda Station (Tokyo), a railway station in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
*Kanda River, a rive ...
), and
Tsukudo Jinja (which has multiple locations.)
His tomb (which contains only a monument to his head) is near exit C5 of Tokyo's
Ōtemachi
is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is located north of Tokyo Station and Marunouchi, east of the Imperial Palace, west of Nihonbashi and south of Kanda. It is the location of the former site of the village of Shibazaki, the most a ...
subway station.
See also
*
Fujiwara no Sumitomo
was a Japanese Heian era court noble and warrior. From 939 to 941 he aided the Taira clan in a series of revolts.
Sumitomo built his power base in Northern Kyushu. After making a secret agreement with Taira no Masakado, who was leading a revolt ...
, The rebellion leader of the same time
*
Kaze to Kumo to Niji to
is a 1976 Japanese historical television series. It is the 14th NHK taiga drama. Kaze to kumo to Niji to deals with the Heian period in Japan. Based on Chōgorō Kaionji's novels ''Taira no Masakado'' and ''Umi to Kaze to Niji to''. The drama was ...
, a Japanese drama
*
Yoshikawa Eiji
was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as ''The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', m ...
, historical fiction
*
Teito Monogatari
is an epic historical dark fantasy/science fiction work; the debut novel of natural history researcher and polymath Hiroshi Aramata. It began circulation in the literary magazine ''Monthly King Novel'' owned by Kadokawa Shoten in 1983, and w ...
, a
historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthur ...
novel by
Hiroshi Aramata
is a Japanese author, polymath, critic, translator and specialist in natural history, iconography and cartography. His most popular novel was ''Teito Monogatari'' (''Tale of the Capitol''), which has sold over 5 million copies in Japan alone.
...
providing a speculative retelling of the history of
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
in which the curse of Masakado influences the development of the city
*
Myōken
Myōken ( sa, डाकिनी, ; Chinese: 妙見菩薩 (Traditional) / 妙见菩萨 ( Simplified), ; Japanese: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as Sonjō-Ō (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō'' ...
*
Chiba clan
The Chiba clan (千葉氏 ''Chiba-shi'') was a Japanese ''gōzoku'' and samurai family descending from the Taira clan. The clan was founded by Chiba Tsunetane, the son of Taira no Tadatsune. The Chiba governed in Shimōsa Province, and the clan w ...
*
Sōma clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan who ruled the northern Hamadōri region of southern Mutsu Province in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan for over 700 years, from the Kamakura period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The Sōma claimed de ...
- Even today, the Soma Nomaoi (相馬野馬追) horse-riding festival organized by Taira no Masakado is celebrated
Notes
References
Bibliography
* Friday, Karl F. (2008). ''The First Samurai: the Life & Legend of the Warrior Rebel Taira Masakado'
New York:
John Wiley and Sons
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in p ...
. ;
* Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia.''Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
.
OCLC 48943301*
Yoshikawa
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 73,262 in 31,031 households and a population density of 2300 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Located in far southeastern Saita ...
, Eiji. (1989) ''Yoshikawa Eiji Rekishi Jidai Bunko'' (''Eiji Yoshikawa's Historical Fiction''), Vol. 46: ''Taira no Masakado'' (平の将門). Tokyo: Kodansha.
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Waley, P. ''Tokyo Now & Then''. First Edition (1984). John Weatherhill, Inc. .
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Lafcadio Hearn
, born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (; el, Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χέρν, Patríkios Lefkádios Chérn, Irish language, Irish: Pádraig Lafcadio O'hEarain), was an Irish people, Irish-Greeks, Greek-Japanese people, Japanese writer, t ...
Kwaidan. First edition (1904). Houghton Mifflin & Co.
External links
Masakado's Home PageKanda Shrine Official Website(Japanese)
Tsukudo Shrine Official Website(English)
Kokuō Shrine Official Website(Japanese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taira no, Masakado
Taira clan
Sōma clan
940 deaths
Rebellions in Japan
Japanese folk religion
Japanese rebels
Shinto in Tokyo
Superstitions of Japan
People from Chiba Prefecture
Japanese warriors killed in battle
Japanese ghosts
Year of birth unknown
10th century in Japan
Deified Japanese people