Shuji Okuda of the comedy duo "Gakuten Soku," known as a history enthusiast, will be hosting a BS Yoshimoto program called "Walking Outside the Textbook! Gakuten Soku Okuda's History Chats," which will air on April 5th at 10 PM. In this program, he will discuss "the fascinating aspects of history that aren't covered in textbooks." The theme of this episode is "Taira no Masakado is amazing!" Okuda will interpret Taira no Masakado, whose story is usually limited to the "Taira no Masakado Rebellion" in school lessons, from his own unique perspective, revealing a figure completely different from the dark image of him as one of Japan's three greatest vengeful spirits.
Taira no Masakado was a powerful local lord who ruled the Bando region in the mid-10th century. Due to legends surrounding his "head mound" in Otemachi, Tokyo, or the "head" itself, he is feared as one of the "Three Great Vengeful Spirits of Japan" (the other two being Sugawara no Michizane and Emperor Sutoku), and has been featured in Kabuki plays, Ukiyo-e prints, and even science fiction works such as "Teito Monogatari" (The Tale of the Imperial Capital).
The program was filmed at the cultural property "Kanda no Ie Isei" in Kanda, Tokyo, and at Kanda Myojin, the general guardian shrine of Edo, which enshrines Masakado as its deity. Okuda narrates nonstop, from the story of Masakado's grandfather, Taira no Takamochi, to "why Masakado decided to rebel against the imperial court."
The life of a man who was angered by corrupt officials, rose up for the oppressed people, and tried to protect the one he loved is a drama that evokes the dawn of the samurai era. Okuda says, "He was actually a really good person." By touching on the reasons for this and the turning point that could be called his "fall into darkness," your view of Masakado will naturally change...
Furthermore, the discussion will cover topics such as the origins of the Taira and Minamoto clans, and the relationship between samurai and the imperial court at that time.
The second installment of the program will air on the 12th.
