Masakado Shrine 将門大明神

Soothing the soul of Taira no Masakado

Tokyo residents and visitors flock to Kanda Myojin, the shrine built in respect for the insurrectionist Taira no Masakado. After he was executed for threatening the establishment, the shrine was built to appease his vengeful spirit. According to lore, when the shrine fell into disrepair, disease and calamities followed. Shogun Togukaga Ieyasu was uneasy with the shrine so close to his castle so he moved it to the location where it now stands. The word is that Taira no Masakado was born and raised in the region that is now part of Kashiwa City. One of his daughters created this shrine to soothe his soul. The current structures date from the 1850s and have elaborate carvings. Taira no Masakado fans ought to put this spot on their pilgrimage route.