Ema is a wooden board on which you can write your wishes to the Shinto deity or thank them for your wishes coming true.
There are mainly pictures of horses and shinto deity drawn on the front.
There is no picture drawn on the back, and this is where you write your wishes to shinto deity and your gratitude for having your wishes come true.
In the past, real live horses were offered during prayers.
In ancient times, it was said that tha deity descended on horses into the world where humans lived. Because it is a sacred horse, it is called “Shinme, Kamiuma, Shinba.”
However, since it was extremely difficult to dedicate a live horse, horses made of wood, paper, or clay began to be used instead, and eventually “wooden board” (votive tablets) with pictures of horses became mainstream.
In this way, the boards dedicated to shrines came to be called “ema”, but depending on the shrine, instead of horses, animals, characters, or amulets associated with that shrine may be depicted on them.
The reason why the ema itself is often in the shape of a house is because it represents a Shinmesha.
Shinmesya is like a horse’s house.
By the way, the ema at Nanasha Shrine, where you can experience Japanese culture, has a picture of Komainu holding a child from this shrine.
“Komainu” is a pair of guardian lion-dog statues commonly found at the entrances of Shinto shrines in Japan. They are typically depicted with one open mouth and one closed mouth, symbolizing the pronunciation of the first and last letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, which represent the beginning and end of all things. Komainu are believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the shrine and its visitors.
If you would like to write your wish on an ema,worship the shrine first.
Afterwards, it will be awarded by paying the first fruit fee at the shrine office or awarding office.
There is no set way to write ema.
Feel free to write your wishes and words of gratitude. But avoid making other people feel bad.
It is a good idea to write your name at the end.
Once you have finished writing, there is a place in the shrine grounds where you can hang the ema, so tie it up with the string attached to the ema.
May your wishes come true.
And may the world be at peace.