Sony Celebrated the PS5 Launch in Japan in a Very Special Shinto Shrine

The launch of the PS5 is now history, at least in some countries, but the event Sony organized in Japan was quite special.

While in most countries of the world organizing an event within a consecrated building would likely raise eyebrows, Japan is a little more pragmatic in its religious attitude, making something like this quite possible and not even that uncommon.

The event was organized within the premises of Kanda-Miojin, a Shinto shrine that isn’t new to this kind of collaboration. It included a rather spectacular light show, which you can enjoy in several videos at the bottom of the post, courtesy of YouTube users farfromsubtle, 大海Hiromi, Suzuki Akihabara Live, Tom’s Suke, and Cavalera Games.

Kanda shrine is within walking distance from the otaku district of Akihabara ton Tokyo, which means that it has been influenced by the proximity with the world capital of geek culture over the past several years.

If you look at the racks holding the Ema (small wooden tablets on which Shinto worshippers write their prayers and wishes), many of them portray fetching drawings of characters from anime and video games.

The shrine is also tied to the popular Love Live! anime. Its popular character Nozomi Tojo helps out as a shrine maiden at Kanda-Miyojin and the steep stairs leading up to the shrine are used in the anime by the members of μ’s as a training ground to build up their stamina. This led to an official partnership between the shrine itself and Love Live!, with posters showcasing its popular characters displayed prominently within the premises.

Most shrine in Japan sell amulets for all sorts of things, including study, business, pregnancies, driving, and many more. For 1,000 yen (approximately $10), Kanda-Miyojin will provide you with an amulet set to protect your computer and smartphone. I guess it may work on your PS5 as well, and yes: I have purchased it… twice.

I leave you with the videos.

While the PS5 is already available in the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, it will launch in Europe and more on Nov. 19.

Incidentally, Sony recently announced that it plans to ship more than 7.6 million units by the end of March 2021, beating the PS4’s debut shipments.

You can also check out the console’s launch trailer, a couple of celebrity videos, an unboxing video, and the “ultimate FAQ” published a few days ago, spelling all the info you may need to know.