Even better, it’s a completely free way to spend some time in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza shopping district.
Ginza 456, created by major Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI, is a futuristic facility in the heart of Tokyo’s Ginza district that uses interactive, cutting-edge technology in its various exhibit and retail spaces, often producing events in collaboration with the pioneers at TeamLab.
One of Ginza 456’s current offerings for approximately six months is Tsunaguu (繋宮) ~A Shrine that Connects You to the Future~. The name itself is a blending of the verb tsunagu (繋ぐ), which means to connect, and guu (宮), a suffix sometimes found in the name of shrines such as Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu. This “shrine” blends the real world and the digital, allowing you to visit a virtual shrine and walk away with typical things you’d receive at one, such as a fortune slip and an omamori protective charm, by playing innovative games. Not only that, but there’s an educational component to the games as well, with KDDI teaching visitors ways to tackle 10 types of social issues in the world such as “A society free from crime and trouble,” “Technology that prevents children’s ‘what ifs’ before they happen,” and “A city where you can walk safely even at night.”
We recently paid Tsunaguu a visit and boy, the entrance is sure hard to miss from the outside, especially on a street with many luxury brands and upscale shops.
Passersby might be a bit startled to see the striking vermillion torii shrine gate just inside of the doors, which are usually only seen in outside locations. But perhaps the even more startling realization is that there’s no entrance fee or charge to play the games inside!
We breezed on through and followed the flow of the space up to the first picture puzzle game.
For this game, you must move the pieces of digital puzzles back into place in a series of challenges that gets progressively harder as you go on. Keeping the theme, all of the pictures express some type of social issue as well. We started out playing confidently, but over time it became trickier than we thought, especially with the time limit.
The key was to not panic and think calmly about how to rearrange the pieces, but that’s always easier said than done.
We only had one puzzle left to solve when the time ran out. So close! At least we could receive a voucher for a paper fortune as a consolation prize from a nearby staff member.
We’ll save it to exchange later.
We next headed downstairs to see what was in store for us there.
The stairway led to an expansive room enveloped by digital projections on all sides. It was actually a bit overwhelming.
It was surprising to find that the place was almost empty despite being free. Maybe people didn’t quite understand what “Shinto shrine of the future” was when walking past it. It seemed like a shame, since other places tend to charge a pretty penny for such technologically enhanced experiences.
The next game was a digital version of sugoroku, a simple board game where you take turns rolling dice in order to move along spaces to reach a finish line, completing challenges at each space you land on. As we started it up, we watched in awe as the walls, floor, and even ceiling reflected the game screen via projection mapping. You could play as a single player against the computer or against real-life companions, so we decided to battle with a friend who came along with us.
Seeing the game unfold via the projection mapping literally put us in the middle of the game and lent a feeling of reality we’d never experienced with sugoroku before.
We took turns moving along and answering quiz questions related to social issues each step of the way. With each correct answer we were able to proceed, and with each incorrect answer we had to go backwards as a penalty.
The quiz questions being asked were about KDDI’s sustainability initiatives. It was nice to see that KDDI wasn’t heavily advertising its own services but really had created these tools to teach the public about making the world a better place.
Ultimately, our friend won the game. We just couldn’t catch a break this day…
This time, we received a monetary offering in the form of a coin from staff.
The last thing to do was exchange the voucher and coin for a fortune slip and omamori respectively.
We inserted the fortune voucher and received a fortune of “middle luck.” It wasn’t the best draw, but at least it wasn’t bad in any way.
Meanwhile, the omamori we scored was for good economic fortune. We’ll take it! Unlike a typical 3-D omamori you might purchase at a real shrine or temple made from cloth, this one was made from paper.
Tsunaguu ~A Shrine that Connects You to the Future~ opened in mid-November and will remain open in Ginza 456 until sometime in May. Now might be the perfect time to stop by for your first shrine visit of the year.
Event information
Tsunaguu ~A Shrine that Connects You to the Future~ / 繋宮 〜わたしと未来をつなぐ神社〜
Ginza 456 Created by KDDI
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ginza 4-5-6
東京都中央区銀座4丁目5番6号
Duration: November 15, 2025-May 2026 (planned)
Open: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Website
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[ Read in Japanese ]
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