Many know the slightly out-of-place mysterious space "Masakado's Mound" in central Tokyo's business district. As the name suggests, it honors Lord Taira no Masakado, a Heian-era warrior. At 1-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda Ward, adjacent to Mitsui & Co. headquarters—in a gap between buildings—some 290 square meters with a few trees feel like a corner of gloomy woods; this season it is rather chilly, though summer may be cool and pleasant.
Small wonder—the legends are fearsome. Masakado rebelled in the 10th century from a base in southern Ibaraki and northern Chiba, and was slain as an imperial enemy; the mound comes from legend that his head, paraded on the capital's main avenue, flew through the sky toward the Kanto and fell here. Similar traditions exist elsewhere; this is the most famous. In Kamakura times, people suffering famine feared "Masakado's curse"; a renowned monk is said to have erected a memorial stone. The "Lotus Amida Buddha" carved on the stone is said to be Masakado's posthumous name. This was also where Kanda Myojin was founded; after the shrine moved with Edo Castle's expansion, the mound remained. Today the "Masakado Mound Preservation Society," centered on local volunteers and nearby major firms, collects donations for upkeep.
A little research shows endless topics in legend—too much for one article. About five minutes on foot from Palaceside Building in Takebashi. I plan to visit often and study the "history" close at hand.