Ema (絵馬, lit. 'picture-horse') are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes.

Jan 2, 2025 · Japanese Ema are small wooden wishing plaques that you may have seen before in Japanese Shinto shrines. They have been used for centuries to send prayers. Essentially people purchase a small plaque, write their wishes on them, and dedicate them to the gods.

Feb 25, 2025 · Wooden plaques called ema hold deep meaning in Japanese spiritual life. These small, colorful tablets hang in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. They create a …

Sep 9, 2019 · Ema are wooden plaques used for writing wishes or prayers to the deity of a Shinto shrine. Hung on special boards, ema can be purchased at shrines and can come in a great variety of shapes, colours and feature many different images.

Jul 23, 2024 · When you stroll through a Shinto shrine in Japan, one of the first things that might catch your eye is the colorful display of ema, or wooden wish plaques, hanging from racks or trees.

Dec 4, 2024 · Ema votive plaques are small wooden tablets that play a significant role in Japanese religious and cultural practices. These colorful, rectangular plaques can be found hanging at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples throughout Japan.

In the serene precincts of Japan’s Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, you’ll find an enchanting tradition that bridges the spiritual and the personal: ema. These small wooden plaques, adorned with heartfelt prayers and wishes, offer a unique glimpse into the …

Sep 9, 2019 · Known as jinja in Japanese, Shinto shrines can be recognised by their torii gates separating the mundane outer world from the sacred inner world of the shrine. Once inside the shrine you will eventually come across a special board with a lot of wooden plates hanging from it.

May 21, 2012 · What exactly are “ema”? “Ema” are wooden wishing plaques. This is a Shinto custom and thus can be found at shrines all over Japan. As Buddhism and Shinto have mixed up a lot, it is not unique to shrines. You MIGHT find them in temples, too!

Ema (絵馬, lit. 'picture-horse') are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes.