Tokyo - In high-tech Japan, not only programmers provide protection from viruses and other computer bugs, but also the gods.

At Tokyo's Kanda-Myojin Shinto shrine, the faithful can bring their computer and have the priests use centuries-old ceremonies to ask the gods for help and protection for their computer, a shrine spokesman said Friday.

The shrine is located near the Akihabara quarter, Tokyo's technology hub and popular destination for geeks and lovers of the latest electronic gadgets.

Kanda-Myojin's religious protection services have proven popular among information-technology entrepreneurs in Japan's capital.

Shinto is Japan's indigenous religion. Shrines offer protection to the faithful throughout their lives, be it at births or on the road. It is not unusual for priests for a little fee to conduct cleansing and protection rituals not only for people but also for objects, from houses to new cars. (dpa)