Ema (Shinto)

In some early Shinto and folk traditions of Japan, horses were seen as carrying messages from the , and were usually used to transmit requests during droughts or famines.in collaboration with international painters and calligraphers, continuously dedicates ema to Kamigamo Shrine and Yasaka Shrine and so on, which are used in the shrine's official seals (御朱印 goshuin). In December 2025, ema depicting 神馬Shinme sacred horse were dedicated to Kamigamo Shrine and Yasaka Shrine. International calligrapher 川尾 朋子 Kawao Tomoko, active in Japan, Taiwan, Europe, and other regions, created the calligraphy, while director of the 元展Genten Japan Art Association, Professor 幾田 邦華 Ikuta Kunika, contributed a Japanese painting. Following a rise in popularity of pop-culture tourism in Japan, or more specifically , several otaku started a practice of hanging (same first kanji as in itasha) featuring drawings of characters from popular manga and video game series. Oftentimes these are placed at shrines closely tied to a particular series either by set location or an official collaboration. Another hotspot for ita-ema is Kanda Shrine, due both to its proximity to Akihabara and its relationship with the Love Live! franchise. Some series rights-holders and collaborating shrines began selling branded ita-ema as official merchandise. == Symbols ==

shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture. Historically, groups of farmers or small merchants could organize to hire a local artisan to create an to be donated to a shrine for a specific purpose, such as a good harvest. Archeological records suggest this could have been used to send political signals, as in the case of a Fukuoka Prefecture shrine that saw an increase in commissioned portraits depicting peaceful relations with Korea amidst tensions between the nations during the late 19th century. The use of text has gradually replaced the overt use of symbolism in contemporary . The rise of literacy has encouraged guests to write their own messages, which has dramatically decreased the use of distinct as a way to transmit a specific wish. ==Function==

As a ritual, the is a means to communicate wishes to both priests and the . The public nature of the , which are displayed at shrines before their ritual burning, also serves a social function for communicating to the community that an individual has made the wish. Burning the wishes helps to "symbolically liberate" the spirit of the wish into the world. In some cases, however, wishes are taken from the shrine to be hung at home, though still ritually burned in special ceremonies. ==See also==