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Taira no Masakado, a member of the Kanmu Taira clan, was the son of Taira no Yoshimasa and a provincial lord in the
Kantō region. In 939, Masakado organized a rebellion and attacked the government post of Hitachi (modern-day
Ibaraki Prefecture), capturing the governor of the province. In the same year, his rebel army conquered the provinces of Shimotsuke and Kozuke (in present-day
Tochigi and Gunma prefectures) and claimed the title of "new emperor". After killing his uncle Taira no Kunika, he was defeated and executed by Fujiwara no Hidesato's forces at the Battle of Kojima (940).
Taira Masakado (平将門, 903-940) was of noble lineage, descending in fifth generation from Emperor Kanmu (桓武天皇,...