Ema (Wooden Prayer Plaques
Ema are small wooden plaques that are used to write your wishes on. These are usually found in Shinto Shrines. The way it works is first you purchase the ema, next you write your wish and lastly leave it hanging in the designated area. The reason you leave it hanging at the shrine is because the Gods will receive your wish once you do it. The ema come in various shapes with either animals or some other type of imagery. The ones in the picture are of a fox because it is the deity of the shrine. Back in the olden days of Japan, people would donate horses to the shrines to gain good favor with the residing God(s). Later on when horses became less common, the images of the animal were used instead.