A cross between tradition and manga culture, Anime Senja-fuda

Religious items are part of the day to day life in Japan, and almost everybody carries in their pocket at least a lucky charm. And considering the huge success of the manga and anime culture, it is only natural that parts of the religious tradition are featured frequently in fictional stories.

Something a bit more unusual - at least for a Westerner - is that manga/anime elements are also featured today on religious objects so, in some shrines, you can find omamori good luck charms featuring Hello Kitty and other popular characters...

An even more unusual such conversion is the vending machine from this photo, found in Akihabara, Tokyo. It sells anime versions of the traditional senja-fuda "thousand shrine tags", which were originally stickers used by fervent religious pilgrims...