of butterflies appeared in Kyoto, a portent of the upcoming battle. Over the centuries, Masakado became a demigod to the locals who were impressed by his stand against the central government, while at the same time feeling the need to appease his . 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 (ja); 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. His tomb (which contains only a monument to his head) is near exit C5 of Tokyo's Ōtemachi subway station. Other shrines which he is deity of include (located in Kanda), and Tsukudo Jinja (which has multiple locations.) In Gifu Prefecture, there is a Mikubi shrine (ja) dedicated to Taira no Masakado. According to a legend left at the Shinto shrine, a priest at a shrine in Mino Province prayed to a to prevent the head of Taira no Masakado, who was beheaded in Kyoto, from returning to Kantō for revenge, and the kami shot the head off with a as Taira no Masakado flew back to Kantō. The Mikubi Shrine was built on the spot where the head fell. See also Fujiwara no Sumitomo, The rebellion leader of the same time Kaze to Kumo to Niji to, a Japanese drama Yoshikawa Eiji, historical fiction Teito Monogatari, a historical fantasy novel by Hiroshi Aramata providing a speculative retelling of the history of Tokyo in which the curse of Masakado influences the development of the city Myōken Chiba clan Sōma clan - 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. ; Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 48943301 Yoshikawa, Eiji. (1989) Yoshikawa Eiji Rekishi Jidai Bunko (Eiji Yoshikawa's Historical Fiction), Vol. 46: Taira no Masakado (平の将門). Tokyo: Kodansha. Waley, P. Tokyo Now & Then. First Edition (1984). John Weatherhill, Inc. . Lafcadio Hearn Kwaidan. First edition (1904). Houghton Mifflin & Co. External links Masakado's Home Page Kanda Shrine Official Website (Japanese) Tsukudo Shrine Official