Kanda
is a district in Chiyoda Ward and
used to be the heart of Edo. Kanda symbolizes "uptown" - in contrast to
"downtown" shitamachi, like Asakusa
" - where aristocrates and wealthy merchants lived close to the imperial palace. It is the home of Kanda-myôjin shrine, the main
cathedral of the Japanese orthodox church
and universities like Meiji-daigaku and
Nihon-daigaku. Kanda is a mixture of business and entertainment
district. In Kanda-jinbo-chô are a lot of second hand bookshops
and akademic bookstores.