Local Culture: Hida’s lucky item “Kami-Ema”

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Local Culture: Hida’s lucky item “Kami-Ema”

1. What is difference Ema and Kami-Ema…?
Ema=絵馬 literally means "picture horse".

General ”Ema” is a wooden board shich people write your wish on.
And people hang it in the shrine. You can see it in any shrines in Japan.

General Ema

"Kami-Ema" is something that is handed down to Hida Takayama.

A picture of a horse is drawn on washi paper,
and it is displayed on the entrance of shops, restaurants, houses in Takayama city and Hida district.
It is like a lucky item in Hida!

kami-ema

There are two type of horse design, left facing and right facing,
because it need to decorate the entrance as if a horse were “running in” from the outside.(See above photo!)

If you want to write your name or company name ,they can write in it.

2. Where & When we can buy it?

Ema-ichi (Ema marcket) is held in every summer.
in Yamazakura shrine, Matsukura-kannon Shrine, Sogenzi Temple and shops.