Kanda Myojin Shrine Audio Guide

Welcome to Kanda Myojin Shrine

Welcome to Kanda Myojin. Akihabara is famous the world over as an electronics district. Climb just a little way up the slope from that town of electronics and anime, and a vivid vermilion shrine hall rises grandly into view. This is Kanda Myojin, formally called Kanda Shrine — a venerable place said to hold nearly thirteen hundred years of history. That an ancient place of prayer should breathe on, so close to a district teeming with the newest culture, is the very charm found only here. It is said that long ago it served as a guardian shrine of Edo, watching over the lives of many people, and even now a steady stream of visitors come to pray for prosperity in business and good matches in love. The Kanda Festival, held every two years, is known as one of the great festivals of old Edo, filling the whole town with excitement. In recent years it has drawn gentle ties to local IT companies and anime culture, cherished as a rare shrine where tradition and the present blend naturally together. Over the next hour or so, let's trace the stories hidden behind the very scene in front of you. Stop wherever catches your eye, and listen at your own pace. To help you feel this place more deeply, let's begin with the story Kanda Myojin has walked through the ages.