Kanda Shrine 神田明神 |
|
---|---|
The Kanda Shrine honden
|
|
Information | |
Dedicated to |
Ōnamuchi (Daikoku) Sukunabikona (Ebisu) Taira no Masakado |
Founded | 730 |
Address | 2-16-2, Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo 〒 101-0021 |
Website | www |
Glossary of Shinto |
Kanda Shrine (神田明神 Kanda-myōjin?, formerly 神田神社 Kanda-jinja), is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The shrine dates back 1,270 years, but the current structure was rebuilt several times due to fire and earthquakes. It is situated in one of the most expensive estate areas of Tokyo. Kanda Shrine was an important shrine to both the warrior class and citizens of Japan, especially during the Edo period, when shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu paid his respects at Kanda Shrine.
Kanda Shrine was first built in the second year of the Tenpyō Era (730 AD), in the fishing village of Shibasaki, near the modern Ōtemachi district. In order to accommodate the expansion of Edo Castle, the shrine was later moved to the former Kanda ward in 1603, then moved once again to its modern site on a small hill near Akihabara in 1616. The shrine has been rebuilt and restored many times. The current structure was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and rebuilt in 1934 with concrete, and thus survived the Tokyo firebombing of World War II, unlike many of Japan's historical structures. Restoration is being done on Kanda Shrine, and work continues today.
Due in part to the proximity of the present-day Kandamyoujin shrine to Akihabara Electric Town, the shrine has become a mecca for the technophiles who frequent Akihabara. The Kandamyoujin shrine sells talismans specifically for blessing electronic devices against the types of harm that could come to them.