Shrine Celebrates PS5 Launch in Japan

The long-awaited day, the launch of the Playstation 5, has finally come to several countries around the world, including Japan. And as reported by SoraNews24, Sony has produced a special PS5 event for Kanda Shrine, located just ten minutes walk from Akihabara Station. The event was one night only starting at 6:00 PM on November 11.

Otaku and geeks around the world are quite familiar with Akihabara being the otaku mecca of Japan. It’s home to an endless supply of electronics, anime merchandise, maid cafes, and of course, gaming. It makes perfect sense to host a PS5 event in this Tokyo district, but combining traditional Japanese culture with ultra-modern aesthetics is both spectacular and, well, very Japanese. Kanda Shrine is a sacred site over 1,200 years old while the PS5 is next-generation technology. If any country could make those two visualizations work hand in hand, it’s Japan.

Sony used projection mapping to light up the entire grounds of Kanda Shrine with a brilliant blue display that featured triangles, squares, X’s, and circles - the well-known symbols of the Playstation brand and it’s controller button scheme. Local lore explains that the shrine’s grounds are the pathway where spirits walk. The shrine’s gate was also lit in special colors.

This event was free to enjoy and people were invited to stop by and say prayers, PS5-related or not. Many took to social media to share videos and pictures of the rare scene.

Usually, Sony would host in-door events for such a momentous occasion as a console launch. But because of the social distancing challenges created by Covid-19, a shrine possessing outdoor grounds proved the perfect place to still do something in the spirit of celebration.

(image source: Amazon)