A reserve price is the minimum price the seller will accept. This price is hidden from bidders. To win, a bidder must have the highest bid and have met or exceeded the reserve price.
Japan Shinto Prayer Board - 2009 Cow Flowers Torii Ema
Description
Japanese religious prayer plaque commemorating the year of the cow in 2009. These items are called ema in
Japan where they are traditionally used by believers to communicate their wishes
and thanks to deities worshiped at Shinto
shrines. Shinto is the native religion of Japan and an animist
system supporting a pantheon of innumerable major and minor gods. Believers often make donations to the shrines they visit, and in the past
wealthy devotees might show their appreciation and respect through the gift of a
live horse. Horses were highly valued in old Japan and over time less
well-to-do believers began offering their prayers on wooden plaques which
featured a painted image of a horse. The word ema in fact
translates into English as "horse picture". Eventually the images on
Ema began to reflect a wider range of subjects, with new favorites being
representations of the animals within the Oriental zodiac as well as creatures
associated with shrine deities; such as the magical fox who acts as the
messenger for the powerful god of the rice harvest, Inari. To use
an ema the believer must first make or, more commonly, buy an ema
from a Shinto shrine. The believer then writes his prayer onto the
board and brings it to the shrine to be hung upon a special rack set out for
this purpose. Ema remain very popular in Japan where they are used
by believers during every stage of life; from the student praying for success in
schools exams, to young married couples hoping for children as well as the
elderly offering thanks for a
full and blessed life.
About the Listed Item
New (purchased in 2009) wooden ema prayer board featuring the image of a cow with flowers. This ema was produced to commemorate the year of the cow (uma) in 2009. The Japanese writing on
the ema includes the words kaiun shofuku meaning 'for luck' as well as
Heisei 21 nen meaning the 21st year (2009) of the reign of the Heisei emperor. Additional writing includes the name of the shrine 'Minowa Inari' where the ema was received. The backside of the ema is blank in order to provide space where the
believer may write their prayer. This particular ema comes from Minowa Inari
Shinto shrine located in the seaside city of Shimizu, Japan near Mt. Fuji. This shrine is over 400 years old and dedicated to Inari, the god of cereals
and grains who protects the rice harvest and
is one of the most important and revered of all Shinto deities. Please click here to see more religious charms, amulets and talismans!
Click
here
to see more ema prayer boards!
Click
here
to see other Shinto religious items!
Click
here
to see additional treasures from Japan!
More about the Shinto religion
Shinto
is one of the two major religions of Japan (the other is Buddhism). Shinto
is often considered to be the native religion
of Japan, and is as old as Japan itself. The name Shinto means "the way
of the gods." Shinto is a pantheistic religion, in which many thousands
of major and minor gods are thought to exist. The Japanese have built
thousands
of shrines (jinja) throughout the country to honor and worship these
gods. Some shrines are huge and are devoted to important deities while
other shrines are small and may be easily missed when strolling along roads in
the countryside.
Shinto gods are called kami. Kami are thought to have
influence on human affairs, and for this reason many Japanese make regular
pilgrimage to community shrines in order to offer prayers to local kami. The act of prayer involves approaching the shrine structure, passing through the
gate-like torii, cleansing the hands and mouth
with water and possibly ascending stairs to the main entrance of the shrine.
Usually without entering the shrine the worshipper will throw some coins into a
stone or wooden collection box and then rattle the suzu bell which is at
the top of a long hemp rope. The worshiper grabs hold of the rope and shakes it
back and forth causing the copper bell at the top to rattle. This is thought to
get the attention of the shrine god. The worshipper then bows twice, claps his
or her hands twice and then bows again. In addition, the worshipper may clasp
their hands together in silent prayer. Shintoism and Buddhism have managed to
find a comfortable coexistence in Japan. Evidence of this harmonious relationship is
found in the fact that that most Japanese are married in a Shinto shrine,
but buried by a Buddhist priest.
We really want you to be happy with your purchase! For this reason all
items include a 100% money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any
reason, you may return your purchase immediately for a full refund. Your purchase
and all shipping costs will then be refunded to you after the item has been returned
to our office in Japan. Please see our Contact page if you need to reach us for any reason.
Please see our Shipping page for full details regarding shipping rates, available shipping methods and combined shipping discounts. All shipments are via Japan Post standard airmail or Express Mail Service (EMS) airmail. EMS airmail includes a tracking number and is typically faster than standard airmail. Please note that we do not use less secure shipping methods such as surface or SAL delivery due to the higher incidence of loss, damage and significant delay which we have previously encountered using these methods. Your understanding and consideration prior to bidding is greatly appreciated. We ship anywhere and happily combine orders to help you save money. We
carefully weigh and measure each item prior to listing in order to determine
that item's actual shipping cost. This allows us to then include a shipping quote
within each listing which is sufficient to cover postage and handling costs to
any address worldwide. Purchases are carefully packed and
shipped within 72 hours of receipt of payment though holidays and weekends may cause additional delay. Standard airmail delivery to addresses in
North America and Europe average one to three weeks with more or less time
sometimes required for other areas of the world. International buyers should be aware of the laws of
their own country and be prepared to deal with any and all customs-related fees
and charges. Taxes, duties, VAT and any other levies accessed are the
responsibility of the buyer. We self insure the full purchase value of
each order.
Shopping with us is easy. Buy one item or shop for several days. There is never any hurry and we are happy to hold purchases while you continue shopping. Within 24 hours of the close of each transaction you will be sent an invoice including instructions to help you complete your purchase. When you pay for your purchase we will begin the shipment process. Please do not make payments for any individual items you wish us to combine as we are unable to combine items once payment has been received. When you are all done shopping please just send us an email to let us know and we will combine your unpaid purchases into a single order and send you an invoice with combined shipping. PayPal and ProPay are our preferred methods of payment.
Please note that we frequently use photographic models with our listings. This means that when we create a new listing we will randomly select from
inventory a sample of the item for the purpose of photography. The item
you receive therefore may differ slightly from the sample shown in the listing
photos. Your satisfaction guarantee however is always in force and we will
promptly refund or replace the item if you are not pleased with your purchase. Please contact us to ask if a model was used with any listing you may be interested in.
Our family business is located in one of the most beautiful and historic
areas of Japan (Shizuoka) and we take great pleasure in sharing videos, stories, facts
and images from this exciting and interesting culture. Please consider
visiting our
About Japan page where you can read our exclusive articles about Japan,
Japanese culture and even our recommended travel itinerary for those considering
a visit to the land of the rising sun.
*The estimated delivery time is based on the seller's handling time, the shipping service selected, and when the seller receives cleared payment. Sellers are not responsible for shipping service transit times. Transit times may vary, particularly during peak periods.
We really want you to be happy with your purchase! For this reason all items include a 100% money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase immediately for a full refund. Your purchase and all shipping costs will then be refunded to you after the item has been returned to our office in Japan.
The buyer is responsible for return shipping costs.
Back to Search Results
) 
The Old Tokaido
Print
Report item
and your 