Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance releases today on Switch, and Atlus have given us another Daily Demon video. Today we’re given a look at Masakado, a series staple who first appeared in Shin Megami Tensei II.
Taira no Masakado (平将門), or simply Masakado, was a samurai during the Heian period in Japan, who became infamous for his explosive temper, daring personality, and sharp wit. He led a small but thriving rebellion to capture three provinces, Hitachi, Shimotsuke and Kouzuke, now known as the Kanto region’s Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures respectively, but he had initially avoided trouble with the government due to his cunning and no small amount of exact wording, but eventually Masakado’s luck ran out. As a response to the rebellious member of the Taira clan, the Kyoto central government at the time announced the bounty on his head. At the Battle of Kojima occurring eastward of Kanto, Masakado was killed by Fujiwara no Hidesato and Taira no Sadamori, his cousin.
His head was brought to Kyoto on a pike, but people noticed his head didn’t display any sign of decay, then it began shouting for the return of his body, then eventually flew off. His head was found later near a small fishing village on the edge of the ocean and the future site of Edo, which later became Tokyo.
In Tokyo, to please his onryō, Masakado became regarded by the locals as a demigod, and a belief persists that the condition of his kubizuka shrine dictates the fortune of the metropolis. To this day, Masakado’s tomb is found near exit C5 of Tokyo’s Ōtemachi subway station.
Find the video below.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is available now on Switch.
