What is an ema and what is it used for?

An ema is a small wooden plaque sold at Japanese shrines and temples on which you write a wish or prayer, then hang it on a rack so the kami or buddhas may receive it. Common wishes include success in exams, good health, safe childbirth, and love.

How do you write and hang an ema?

To use an ema, buy a blank plaque at the shrine or temple office, write your wish and name on the back with a pen, and hang it on the wooden ema rack rather than taking it home. It is customary to pay your respects at the main hall first.

How much does an ema cost?

An ema usually costs a few hundred yen, often somewhere between about 300 and 1,000 yen depending on the shrine or temple and the design. You buy it at the office or shop on the grounds.

Ema

Ritual objects

絵馬・ Reading: えま

Ema — NaokijpWikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Definition

An ema is a small wooden plaque on which visitors write wishes or prayers and hang at a shrine or temple. The kami or buddhas are believed to receive the requests written on them.

Where they come from

Ema take their name from the older custom of offering a real horse to a shrine, since horses were thought to carry the wishes of worshippers to the kami. Because live horses were costly, people began presenting painted wooden boards showing a horse instead, and over time the pictures widened to include many other subjects. Today ema are sold at the shrine or temple office, usually for a small fee, and often carry the crest or an emblem of that particular place.

What to look for

Most ema are five-sided wooden plaques, small enough to hold in one hand, with a hole or cord for hanging. The front shows a design linked to the shrine, such as a horse, a zodiac animal, or a local deity, while the back is left blank for writing. You will see them tied in their hundreds to wooden racks near the main hall, layered and fluttering in the wind.

How to use one

Write your wish or a word of thanks on the blank side, add your name if you like, and hang it on the rack provided. Students often ask for success in exams, while others pray for health, love, or safe childbirth. The plaques are later gathered and ritually burnt by the shrine.

Common questions

What is an ema and what is it used for?: An ema is a small wooden plaque sold at Japanese shrines and temples on which you write a wish or prayer, then hang it on a rack so the kami or buddhas may receive it. Common wishes include success in exams, good health, safe childbirth, and love.
How do you write and hang an ema?: To use an ema, buy a blank plaque at the shrine or temple office, write your wish and name on the back with a pen, and hang it on the wooden ema rack rather than taking it home. It is customary to pay your respects at the main hall first.
How much does an ema cost?: An ema usually costs a few hundred yen, often somewhere between about 300 and 1,000 yen depending on the shrine or temple and the design. You buy it at the office or shop on the grounds.

Ema