Kanda / Akihabara

Top Things to do

• Tokyo Dome

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  The Tokyo Dome opened as Japan’s first covered stadium in 1988. With its dome shaped room and artificial turf field it’s the home stadium of the Yomiuri Giants. The Tokyo Dome is the core of the Tokyo Dome City urban entertainment area and doesn’t only host baseball games but also a variety of other events including concerts and exhibitions. Near entry gate 21 you’ll find the Baseball hall of fame museum where you can see uniforms of popular players and learn about the history of baseball.

• Yasukuni Shrine

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  This shrine located in Kudankita of Chiyoda City mainly enshrines soldiers and civilians related to the military who died in service of the country. From patriots at the end of the Edo period and the Meiji Restoration to soldiers that died in combat during the Pacific War, Yasukuni enshrines over 2,466,000 spirits without distinction as to social status, merits or gender. About 400 cherry trees have been planted on the premises, making it a famous spot for hanami (cherry blossom viewing).

• Tokyo Dome City

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  This is a general entertainment area that is centered around Tokyo Dome, the baseball stadium that is home to the Yomiuri Giants. Facilities include Tokyo Dome Attractions (the old Korakuen Amusement Park) where guests can enjoy attractions such as thrill rides and a Ferris Wheel, LaQua with its spa facilities, Korakuen Hall which is known as a holy land for martial arts, and the Tokyo Dome Hotel.

• Yushima Tenmangu (Yushima Tenjin)

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  This is a Shinto shrine located in Yushima in Bunkyo City and is representative of an Edo-Tokyo Tenmangu Shrine. It is said that this shrine was built in 458 A.D. by imperial command of Emperor Yuraku in order to enshrine Ameno-tajikaraono-mikoto as a deity. Later in the Nanboku-cho period, Sugawara Michizane was also enshrined. As the Shinto god of scholarship, many students preparing for exams pay homage at the shrine. The precincts are so elegant, and they were the subject of works by the ukiyo-e artist, Utagawa Hiroshige. From early February at the Japanese plum blossom festival (“Ume Matsuri”), the Japanese plums are magnificent in full bloom on the grounds and the festival is busy with sightseers.

• Tokyo Daijingu

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  Built in 1880 as a shrine to worship the deities of Ise Shrine, this shrine is well known for being “O-Ise-sama in Tokyo.” Initially it was located in Hibiya, but relocated to Tokyo’s Chiyoda City after the Great Kanto Earthquake. The main deities enshrined are Amaterasu-Sume-Okami and Toyouke-no-Okami. It is also popular as a wedding venue as it is a shrine that originated Shinto weddings. It is visited by many worshippers who pray for good candidates for marriage. In addition to its main festival held every year in April, there are many smaller events held each month.

• Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba

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  This is a large home electronics retail store primarily based in the Yodobashi Akiba commercial complex located in front of JR Akihabara Station. Floors one through six of the building carry an assortment of electronic products including games, home appliances, audio-visual goods, cameras, timepieces, brand items, personal computers, computer accessories, and mobile phones. This is a shopping spot frequented not only by domestic customers but many overseas guests as well, and the third floor has a corner featuring Japanese souvenirs and other products for tourists.

• Kanda Shrine (Kanda Myojin)

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  This shrine located in Soto-Kanda in Tokyo’s Chiyoda City boasts close to 1,300 years of history. In the past, this shrine was revered as the Edo Sochinju (the center place to pray for local gods) with a Soujigami (general local Shinto deity) that was the patron of Tokyo’s 108 towns. There are many commemorative photo spots including the impressive Shaden (main building) built in 1934 that is completely covered in bright vermillion as well as the “Chikara Ishi,” which is a big stone that was used by young people in competitions to show off their strength. The enshrined deities are Okuninushi no Mikoto (Daikokuten), Sukunahikona no Mikoto (Ebisu), and Taira no Masakado. The Kanda-matsuri festival held around mid-May is counted as one of the three largest Edo festivals. The shrine has even become famous in recent years for collaborations with anime works.

• The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

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  Located close to the South Entrance to Kitanomaru Park, near the Imperial Palace, the National Museum of Modern Art (MOMAT), which opened in 1952, was Japan’s first national art museum. The MOMAT Collection features around 200 items from the more than 12,500 artworks held by the museum, showcasing a wide range of works in various genres—including Nihonga (Japanese-style modern painting), Western-style oil paintings, watercolors, sculpture, photographs, etc.—from the early 20th century to the present day. Several special exhibitions on unique themes are held every year.

• Nezu Jinja Shrine

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  This is a shrine with a long history that is located in the Nezu district of Tokyo’s Bunkyo City is said to have been founded by Yamatotakeru (the 12th Emperor of Japan) about 1,900 years ago. The enshrined deities are Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Oyamakuino-kami and Hondawake-no-Mikoto. The shaden (main shrine building) built in 1706 is completely covered in lacquer and is a masterpiece of gongen-zukuri (style of Shinto architecture in which the main hall and worship hall share one roof, and are connected via an intermediate passageway), and seven buildings have received designation as national Important Cultural Properties. Vermillion-lacquered torii gates stand in a row at the smaller Otome Inari Shrine on the premises, making this a popular spot to take photos. The shrine is visited by many worshippers in April when 3,000 azaleas bloom profusely and in September when one of Edo three biggest festivals is held.