Posted March 9, 2014 by Jonelle Patrick Awesome Stuff To Do

The Anime Shrine

If I were one of the gods at the Kanda Myojin shrine, I'd give these mortals whatever they asked for! — If I were one of the gods at the Kanda Myojin shrine, I’d give these mortals whatever they asked for!

If you live, breathe, and want to work in anime, the Kanda Myōjin shrine is the place to pray that your dreams come true. But you’d better bring your markers and all your drawing chops, because competition for the gods’ attention is fierce. At most shrines, prayers are just scribbled on the backs of wooden ema with bleed-y black markers, but at Kanda Myōjin, the ones left by favor-seekers are real works of art.

Kinda makes me want to slink away in shame. Am I the only person in Tokyo who can't draw like this? — Kinda makes me want to slink away in shame. Am I the only person in Tokyo who can’t draw like this?

If you’d like to visit the Kanda Myōjin Shrine the next time you’re in Tokyo, a map is on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

And just for fun, here are the eleven strangest shrines in Tokyo, with all the inside scoop on the resident gods’ superpowers

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Jonelle Patrick View All

Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!