Amanoya

Founded in 730 AD, Kanda Myojin is one of the most revered and historically significant Shinto shrines in Tokyo, as well as a popular tourist attraction thanks to its location near Akihabara Electric Town and Jimbocho Book Town.

The main approach to the shrine, though hardly a shopping street, claims "Myojin amazake" as its specialty. Today, two sellers of amazake—fermented rice drink, literally meaning "sweet sake"—remain here today, both with a long history. The younger of these two, Amanoya, dates back to 1846, and behind its founding is a rather interesting story.

The founder, Shinsuke Amano, was a samurai who served in Tango Province in Kyoto, but when he heard of his brother's murder in Edo (Tokyo), he renounced his social rank and traveled east in order to avenge him. As Kanda Myojin was the capital's primary shrine, Shinsuke decided to open a shop on the street in front of it, as it saw lots of traffic every day.

He completely forgot to consider one important thing, however: he did not know what the killer looked like. Eventually, he gave up on avenging his brother and his life as a samurai in Kyoto, passing on his business to his children.

Now run by the Amano family's fifth generation, the shop utilizes its underground chamber, which was built before Shinsuke opened his shop. This cellar keeps a moderate temperature all year, making it an ideal storeroom for the koji mold, which is used in the fermentation of amazake as well as soy sauce, miso, and natto. Though such cellars were once common in the area, this is the only surviving one in all of Chiyoda City today.

While the small shop sells traditionally made koji-based food, as well as takeout amazake in paper cups, Amanoya also runs a rustic teahouse in the adjacent building rebuilt right after it was burned down in the 1945 bombings of Tokyo. Its menu features classic Japanese fare, including shaved ice, mochi, oden, and, of course, the famous Myojin amazake.