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To most international tourists, any visit to Japan wouldn't be complete without making a pilgrimage to a Shinto shrine.
Whether a visitor seeks a spiritual cleansing with a small offering to the enshrined gods or an hour or two to bask in the stunning architecture of towering torii gates, a large number of guests do not leave empty-handed.
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What are Ema Plaques? Where can I Find Them?
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Ema plaques are wooden plaques used by shrine-goers for writing down hopes and prayers, often decorated with elaborate designs exclusive to that particular shrine.
Many visitors leave their ema plaques tied around a rack at the shrine so that the residing gods can assist in granting the written prayers, however, visitors are also free to bring the plaques home with them as a memento of their pilgrimage.
Ema plaques can also occasionally be found at Buddhist temples.
Nowadays ema plaque collecting is becoming a popular pastime!
Most ema plaques can be purchased simply by asking the shrine or temple staff.
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Start your collection traveling around Kinosaki Onsen!
Takano Shrine in Takeno Beach Town
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Takano Shrine’s ema plaques are decorated with a vibrant drawing of a Kitamae ship sailing into Takeno, a fishing town just one train stop from Kinosaki Onsen.
On the walk to Takeno Beach from Takeno Station, chances are you’ll be passing by Takano Shrine.
This shrine was historically a guardian shrine for the Kitamae ships, cargo vessels which carried goods to various ports of call around Japan, including Takeno, from the mid-1700s until the dawn of the 20th century.
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Onsenji Temple in Kinosaki Onsen
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As the guardian Buddhist temple protecting Kinosaki Onsen from its post halfway atop Mount Daishi, Onsenji Temple is steeped in over a millennium of history.
In fact, the very name “Kinosaki” came from a statue housed in this temple!
The esteemed Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva at Onsenji Temple is said to have been carved from the top of a tree, phonetically “ki no saki” in Japanese.
Temple-goers can pick up an ema plaque with a drawing of the legendary statue at the temple entrance.
At the very top of Mount Daishi, visitors will also find another special ema plaque with a drawing of Kukai, a Japanese Buddhist monk and the founder of Shingon Buddhism.
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Straw Craft in Kinosaki Onsen
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Straw craft is a traditional artform native to Kinosaki Onsen where dyed strips of barley straw are meticulously cut and pasted into fine designs on boxes, jewelry, and even postcards.
Before every new year holiday season, the local straw craft workshop Kamiya Mingei releases specialty straw craft ema plaques adorned with the upcoming zodiac animal.
These ema plaques are made in limited quantities, with only 200 available for sale each year.
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Odai Shrine in Downtown Toyooka
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Did you know?
Toyooka City is Japan's largest producer of bags!
At the very end of Caban Street (bag street) in downtown Toyooka, the only shrine in Japan dedicated to Odai, the god of bags, offers unique ema plaques for pilgrims in the shape of - you guessed it - a bag!
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Kukuhi Shrine in Downtown Toyooka
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Oriental White Storks are a protected treasure in Toyooka City.
Kukuhi Shrine near the Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork attracts worshippers hoping to have a baby.
As such, it goes without saying that the shrine's ema plaques follow the stork theme with adorable baby chicks!
They can be purchased at Avian Tot, a vintage-style tearoom across the street from Kukuhi Shrine.
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Danielle Leveille
Junior Local Expert
Originally from Chicago in the USA. She currently works for Visit Kinosaki as a coordinator for international relations. A lover of Tajima beef and hidden sightseeing spots, she can be found either at one of her favorite restaurants or exploring a secret nook in town.
