Kanda Myōjin

Sitting on a rise between the bookshops of Jimbōchō and the electronics arcades of Akihabara, Kanda Myōjin (officially Kanda-jinja) is one of Tokyo's most important and characterful shrines. Founded in the year 730, it has watched over the heart of the city for nearly 1,300 years, and it remains the tutelary shrine of 108 neighbourhoods in central Tokyo — including the great markets of Nihonbashi and the modern otaku capital of Akihabara.

The shrine enshrines three deities: Daikoku, god of good marriage and prosperity; Ebisu, god of fishermen, business and good fortune; and — most intriguingly — Taira no Masakado, the rebellious 10th-century samurai who briefly declared himself emperor of eastern Japan before being killed. Masakado's vengeful spirit was long feared, and enshrining him here was meant to pacify it; his nearby grave mound (Masakado-zuka) is still carefully maintained, and the samurai is honoured as a protector of the common people against distant authority.

Architecturally, the current vermilion main hall dates to 1934, built in reinforced concrete after the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake — a decision that saved it from the firebombing that destroyed so much of wooden Tokyo. The result is a strikingly bright, lacquered complex with a grand gate, ornate carvings and a spacious plaza, all recently restored to vivid red and gold.

Kanda Myōjin's most famous moment comes every other year with the Kanda Matsuri, held in mid-May in odd-numbered years. One of the three great festivals of Edo, it fills the streets with hundreds of portable mikoshi shrines carried by chanting bearers, elaborate processions in Heian-era costume, and enormous crowds — a spectacle that traces its roots to the shogunate's celebrations and is worth planning a trip around.

What delights modern visitors is the shrine's embrace of its Akihabara neighbours. Because it protects business and technology, Kanda Myōjin has become the unofficial shrine of Japan's IT industry: it sells omamori charms designed to protect smartphones, hard drives and even source code, and its gleaming EDOCCO cultural centre hosts anime collaborations and pop-up events. It is entirely normal to see a besuited engineer praying for a smooth product launch beside a cosplayer.

The visiting experience blends the ancient and the delightfully modern. Entry is free and the grounds are open at all hours; the main precinct is reached by a short flight of steps from the front gate, though a step-free side approach exists for wheelchairs and strollers. A café and shop make it easy to linger. Getting there is quick — five minutes on foot from JR Ochanomizu Station or a short uphill walk from Akihabara — making it an ideal cultural pause between browsing electronics and hunting for rare books. Do not miss the small Masakado-related sub-shrines and the beautifully carved zuijinmon gate, and if you visit at New Year expect huge hatsumode crowds of business owners praying for a prosperous year.