Taira no Masakado

In a corner of the Otemachi district, close to the Tokyo Station, stands a memorial monument where the decapitated head of Taira no Masakado, a samurai commander in the Heian period (794–1185), used to be buried. Masakado, who excelled in his martial arts, paralleled to none in the Kanto region in the 10th century, revolted against the Imperial Court and was killed after he conquered the whole Kanto region. After his death, he was beheaded as a traitor in Kyoto, and his head was placed on public display. There are several stories about why his severed head came to rest in the burial mound at this location. One story says that the severed head, after having been exposed to decay, was buried at a Kan'non-do hall near the Imperial Palace, where an emperor lived. Another one even goes that the head flew by deep grudge of Masakado from Kyoto to the place and buried there. Yet another one says that, in the 13th century, Masakado's spirit, enraged with the sight of his dilapidated burial mound, brought evil consequences to the people of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Therefore, people held memorial services to calm the spirit. The mound itself, however, was removed in 1923 when the Ministry of Finance building was reconstructed after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The monument is close to the C5 Exit of the Otemachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Lines. It is located on the east side of the Mitsui Bussan Building.