Kanda Myôjin is one of the most famous shrines in the Kanto area. Sitting atop a hill near Akihabara, Kanda shrine has three beings enshrined there: two gods and a famous warrior. The gods enshrined are 2 of the 7 Lucky Gods: Daikokuten, god of the good harvest, and Ebisu, the god of fishermen and businessmen. Last to be enshrined is Taira no Masakado, a major player in warrior legends by revolting against the imperial court. After being hunted down and beheaded by his friends and family, it is said that he became an angry ghost and his head flew from his grave to a small fishing village of Shibazaki which would later be Edo (Tokyo). In the 14th century a plague began to spread in Shibazaki and it was attributed to the fact that Masakado's anger had yet to be sated, so the villagers removed the head from the small shrine they had constructed to remedy his anger when he first arrived (see Tsukudo Jinja), and moved it to Kanda Myôjin where he remains today.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 9.

Kanda Myôjin is a very fun place to go and during matsuri (festival) season because it is host to the Kanda Matsuri, one of the biggest in the Kanto area making it is one of the best places to be in Tokyo. All together Kanda Myôjin is a beautiful shrine with a rich history and fun present. When the festival is not in full swing, it’s also a nice place to go when you want to get away from some of the crowds of Akiharaba, but because of its close proximity, Kanda Myôjin does have special talismans that bear images of anime girls.