Personalized Ema votive plaques at Fushimi Inari Taisha

Ema, small wooden plaques used at Shinto shrines to write prayers or wishes, are usually almoost rectangular, but some shrines have their own shapes.

The famous Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto offers a unique ema design, shaped like a kitsune head, kitsune (Japanese word for fox) being the messengers of Ōkami Inari, the Japanese god of fertility, rice, agriculture, industry and success. Due to their attractive shape, the ema are personalized by many worshipers with manga style expressions...