Some Unusual Ema

Unusual Ema in Japan

Ema, votive plaques, can be found at many shrines and temples and nowadays are usually a standard size and shape, though variations abound. The heart shape is becoming more common and its purpose is fairly obviously to petition for finding a lover. Ema are usually wooden, but these are made of ceramic. The other ceramic ema are in the shape of miniature kawara, rooftiles. Found at Zuiryujimirakumogosho, a small temple on top of Mount Hachiman in Shiga.

These unusual ema I found at the Inari shrine on the hill above Miyajidake Shrine in Fukuoka. The petitioner draws or paints a face onto the blank face of the fox.

These ema at Takeuchi Shrine in Higashi Izumo have a blank human body shape on which you mark which part of your body you have a problem with that you ask for healing.

These spoon shaped ema can be found at many places. They are rice scoops, in Japan sukuu, but the word pronounce the same but written with a different kanji  means "save", as in salvation. These are at Rakan-ji, a temple near Nakatsu in Oita.

At Nangu Taisha in Gifu there were the standard shaped ema as well as circular ones and some shaped like toy dogs.

Purchase a selection of ema from GoodsFromJapan

Kawara in walls

Kawara, ceramic rooftiles originally introduced from Korea for early temple roofs gradually spread to palaces and other major buildings.

In the Edo period they began to be mass produced and came to be more widespread. By the twentieth century they had become the standard rooftile.

Old rooftiles abound. Piled in stacks against collapsing buildings there must be millions of them lying around. A lot of people use them in gardens, to make paths and raised beds.

Traditionally they have been recycled and used in the construction of walls.

Kawara fascinate me. They make great photos. More galleries on kawara can be found here

Kawara with plaster

Something Ive only seen a few times, and always on the Pacific Coast, is plaster used, Im guessing, to hold the rooftiles together.

I'm guessing that it is to prevent damage during typhoons.

The place I saw it is most was on the island of Iwaishima off the coast of yamaguchi, where all theses photos were taken

It does make for some interesting patterns though....

Old Kawara

The next chapter in my photo galleries of kawara, Japanese rooftiles.

All of these exhibit the aesthetics of old kawara...

To see more click on the label below this post.....

Colorful Kawara

The original kawara, rooftiles, in Japan were I believe black, as are most of them nowadays. You can find a few bright blue examples which are traditional Chinese I believe.

Most of the tiles in my area are a reddish-brown which seems fairly common in the west of Japan, but nowadays you can get them in just about any color. These were on display outside a local tile factory that has now gone out of business.

There actually seems to be more colors available for rooftiles than there are for housepaint. Houses usually are painted in a very small range of colors.

Big Roof Kawara 2

More photos of traditional rooftiles in the context of large roofs.



many of these are temples, but there are some modern buuildings....