Uncanny Japan Taira no Masakado: The First Samurai's Flying Head & Tokyo's Cursed Shrine
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night wondering who Japan's first samurai was? And then maybe wondering if severed heads can actually fly? Well, that's exactly what I want to talk to you about today.
Today I'm going to tell you about the fierce, the legendary, the wild Taira no Masakado, who has been dubbed the first samurai. Was he a bad guy? Was he a good guy? And yes, we'll get into airborne heads too, and curses.
You know how Japan loves making lists of three great things? One of them is "Sandai Onyo" - Three Great Vengeful Spirits - and one of those angry spirits is Taira no Masakado. His story is wild: a 10th-century warrior with royal blood who defended peasants, conquered eight provinces, got his head cut off, and then that head refused to decay. For three months it sat in Kyoto's marketplace, glowing and calling out for its body, before flying 200 miles home to what would become Tokyo.
I'll tell you about the cursed head mound that still stands today, the mysterious deaths of anyone who dares disturb it, and why you'll find frog statues there. My mother-in-law gave me a frog charm ages ago. (I lost it.) Come with me as I share this incredible story of Japan's first samurai and his supernatural legacy.
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Credits
Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura
About SpectreVision Radio
SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.
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