A Japanese livestreamer has been expelled from his streamer group after broadcasting himself climbing on the stone monument at one of Tokyo’s most infamous “cursed” sites.
Kickers, a group of male streamers active on the platform Kick, announced on August 22 that it had expelled Ainosuke (愛之助), a member of its second-tier roster, over a stream in which he climbed the stone monument at Masakado-zuka in Otemachi, Chiyoda Ward.
According to the group, Ainosuke broadcast the stunt on August 19. Kickers cites its own conduct rules, which state that “views and numbers are everything” but explicitly ban “violent behavior during streams” and call for members to avoid traffic violations. The group did not spell out exactly which rule the stunt broke, but the expulsion notice came just three days after the stream aired.
What is Masakado-zuka?
Masakado-zuka is a small stone mound in the middle of Tokyo’s Otemachi financial district, marking the traditional burial site of the head of Taira no Masakado, a 10th-century samurai who led a rebellion against the imperial court and was executed in the year 940. Legend holds that Masakado’s severed head flew back to the capital region and landed where the mound now stands, and that the site carries a centuries-old curse: developers, workers and companies nearby are said to have suffered accidents, illness or worse after disturbing or disrespecting the grave. Because of this reputation, surrounding office towers have historically left the tiny plot untouched through repeated redevelopment, and it remains both a tourist stop and a spot locals treat with real caution.
Who is Ainosuke?
Ainosuke is a streamer active on Kick and Niconico Live, known mainly for casual chat and daily-life broadcasts, along with streams filmed at reportedly haunted locations. He had only just joined Kickers: according to his own posts on X, he announced joining the group’s third tier on July 28, then said on August 1 that he had been promoted to the second tier — a run that ended three weeks later with his expulsion.
Kickers is a Kick-based streamer collective that, as of its latest update, counted 42 members including managers across three tiers, recruiting new members by audition. Its rules also state that any member arrested on criminal charges is automatically dismissed unless prosecutors decline to indict them.
A “999-year ban”
Japanese outlets have dubbed the expulsion a “999-year ban,” a joking nod to the centuries-old curse tied to Masakado’s grave. The timing fed the joke further: heavy rain flooded parts of Tokyo and an earthquake struck the city around the same period, leading some social media users to half-jokingly suggest the events were connected to the stunt at the site.
Author’s Comment
Listen, Tokyo will forgive you for a lot of things, but climbing on Taira no Masakado’s grave for a few extra viewers is not one of them. That mound has survived earthquakes, firebombing, and decades of developers too spooked to so much as move it, and this kid figured a Kick stream was worth the risk anyway. I love that his own group’s rulebook basically boils down to "do whatever gets numbers, just don’t get arrested or pick a fight with the dead" — and he still found a way to lose. If Tokyo gets hit with another flood or two this week, don’t come crying to me. I did warn you this city’s ghosts have main character energy.
