kanda myoujin in the middle of hobbyist town: July 29 2024

July 2024 · 5 min read · Chiyoda

the nightwalker returns once again and decided to go shrine and/or temple hopping.
i went to three spots, the first was a repeat, the second was closed.
so here is the third, let us explore it together.

Kanda Myoujin Shrine（神田明神）

i came from the north, which was actually the back side as they said, climbing flights of stairs.
this couldn't be the main entrance, these stairs are too dangerous for the aged people who i am sure goes to shrines often, i thought.
the only consolation though was how brightly lit the stairs were.

this was my first time in this shrine, it was literally cramped in between office buildings.
as the shrine is located in kanda, that is totally expected.
kanda is home to lots of office buildings.
it is also home to the ever colorful world of tech and anime hobbyist centered akihabara.
in fact, i knew of this shrine from long ago when i was still working in akihabara, but i was just too lazy to visit.

^{suehiroinari shrine (末広稲荷神社)}

^{edo shrine (江戸神社)}

without knowing what to expect, i saw multiple torii gates which indicated that those are rightfully individual shrines.
it was quite a maze when entered from the back side, buildings where irregularly shaped.
but then i finally saw an open space...
with a brightly lit front portion...
with people praying.
this must be the main hall.

he kanda myoujin (also known as "kanda shrine"）was first built about 1,300 years ago at a different location.
it was moved one more time until it was finally established in the current site in 1616.

this main hall building first came about in 1934 and was said to be revolutionary at the time, it was a steel-framed reinforce concrete shrine building.
and in september 2003, it was registered as a national tangible cultural property of japan.

this shrine is much respected by the warrior class.
ieyasu tokugawa, who later became the first shogun of the edo period, was believed to have prayed in this shrine before winning an important battle in 1603.
now, with it's close proximity to the hobbyist district of akihabara, this shrine is frequented by both tech geeks and anime lovers.
they even sell talismans for electronic devices.

it holds a festival every may of an odd-year, and is regarded as one of japan's three greatest festivals.
i have yet to witness that one.

^{the largest stone statue of Daikokuten in japan}

^{statue of Ebisu on a small boat protected by sea creatures}

this shrine houses three deities, two of them are counted among the shichifukujin or the seven lucky gods of good fortune: Daikokuten, who presides over bountiful harvests and matrimony; and Ebisu, the god of fisheries and business.
both of these gods are also regarded as the founders of japan as a nation.
the third is the Taira no Masakado, a political rebel in the kanto region whom later earned revered status.

now, i have just learned of these when making this post.
if i have known earlier, then i would have asked for prosperity when i visited.

there are other buildings in the site like this ceremony office in front of the main hall.

i was drawn by the picture painted on the steel covers of this building.
there was nothing written about it but i am assuming that this must have depicted the battle scene where general tokugawa won after praying in this shrine.
i could be very wrong on this.

here is the suishinmon gate, the main gate before entering the inner complex.
this structure was rebuilt in 1975 fully from cypress.

i am just in awe of the intricacies of this gate.
japan surely have mastered wood constructions.
the decorations are said to be based from Daikokuten's mythology.

a two-story wooden structure with copper roofs, it greets the people in all its grandeur.
if you haven't know, upon seeing this gate, you will immediately feel the importance of the area.
vermillion and gold is such a rich and vibrant combination.
and it also screams prosperity, doesn't it?

as a side note, this shrine appeared in a famous anime, Love Live!, in which a character was portrayed as a shrine maiden.
as such, many shrine tablets are often drawn with manga or anime characters.
this shrine caters to all walks of life indeed, from the businessmen to the tech and anime lovers, from the old to the new.

this shrine is open 24/7, and is just a few minutes away from either akihabara, ochanomizu, and suehirocho stations.

hope you had fun exploring this shrine with me.
as always, AMPING KANUNAY!

sources:
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