An "Ema" is a votive wooden tablet painted with a picture of a horse or other subject matter at times. The Japanese people purchase a "Ema" to be hung at a nearby shrine when they want to make a wish or their wishes came true. In ancient Japan in the 8th century, a living horse was dedicated to a shrine as a means of transport of the deity, however this offering had transformed into a figure of horse instead of a live one for an expence reason. And finally, it had turned into a small wooden tablet with a picture, today's form, in the Edo period toward the 18th century. It is a small pleasure to pay a visit to a nearby shrine to learn various designs of hanging tablets.
Licensed tour guide/travel assistant,
Masahisa Takaki.
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