Recommended for the First Shrine Visit – One of Tokyo’s Oldest Shrines, Kanda Shrine

New Year’s Day is coming soon. Many people plan to visit a shrine with their family and friends. This time, we’re going to introduce Kanda Shrine (神田明神, also known as Kanda Myojin) which is crowded with New Year visitors every year. New Year’s Day opens the gate at midnight and Saitansai (歳旦祭, a ceremony held at the beginning of the year) begins. Don’t forget to keep from getting cold when you visit the shrine.

Kanda Shrine was founded in 730 near present-day Shomonzuka, in the Otemachi area of Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. The shrine has a history of nearly 1200 years and the one of the oldest shrines in Tokyo. Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu is said to have paid his respects at the shrine and prayed for victory in the battle of Sekigahara. In addition, during the Edo period, the shrine attracted the faith of the shogunate, and in 1616, it was moved to its current location, which is the place of Omote Kimon (表鬼門守護, to protect the castle from any harm ) of Edo Castle. Since then, it has been popularly known as Myojin-sama (明神さま) as the guardian deity of 108 neighborhood associations, including Kanda, Nihonbashi, Akihabara, Otemachi, and Marunouchi.

There are 3 gods mainly enshrined at the shrine: the god of marriage tie Onamuchinomikoto (大己貴命), the god of business prosperity Sukunahikonanomikoto (少彦名命), and the god of expelling evil Tairanomasakadonomikoto (平将門命). The shrine attracts numerous worshippers seeking various forms of good luck. Especially during New Year’s Day, it’s crowded with more than 300,000 visitors each year. As the New Year begins at midnight, try visiting the shrine early to pray for peace in the upcoming year. How about praying for peace in the new year at this historic shrine?