Many Japanese people goes to Shinto shrines on New Year’s Day, and wishes the new year. Some write their wishes on Ema, small wooden plaque.
Ema (絵馬) are small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshippers write their prayers or wishes. The ema are then left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) receive them. They bear various pictures, often of animals or other Shinto imagery, and many have the word gan’i (願意), meaning “wish”, written along the side. In ancient times people would donate horses to the shrines for good favor; over time this was transferred to a wooden plaque with a picture of a horse, and later still to the various wooden plaques sold today for the same purpose.
There is a shrine named Kanda Shrine near to Akihabara.
Kanda Shrine (神田明神 Kanda-myōjin, formerly 神田神社 Kanda-jinja), is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The shrine dates back 1,270 years, but the current structure was rebuilt several times due to fire and earthquakes. It is situated in one of the most expensive estate areas of Tokyo. Kanda Shrine was an important shrine to both the warrior class and citizens of Japan, especially during the Edo period, when shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu paid his respects at Kanda Shrine.
These are Emas with Anime characters painted by Otakus. They are called “Ita-Ema (痛絵馬).”
【20RT】2015年・プロも描いてる神田明神の痛絵馬まとめ! 今年も圧倒的「ラブライブ!」率、「物語シリーズ」スタッフもたくさん http://t.co/aSxt48KFIA pic.twitter.com/9d2NVUZLRd pic.twitter.com/Y0qY9MmZS7
— いおり村長 (アキバ地獄!) (@IoryHamon) 2015, 1月 2
神田明神に奉納するにこにー痛絵馬が出来たにこ(´▽`) pic.twitter.com/aCFqdR2n5u
— 灰猫@三日目西地区ゆ44b (@uminohaine) 2014, 12月 30
神田明神の痛絵馬、ラブライブ!vsアイカツ! pic.twitter.com/TmFaNBGjJf
— 奈良の童帝◇アッポォ丸◆ (@maxkaede) 2015, 1月 1
秋葉原・神田明神の痛絵馬2015 「ラブライブ!」多め、有名… http://t.co/JD1K3p4EFV #まとめ pic.twitter.com/DGyF4dcso5
— うえだ しおり (@zukikorujuw) 2015, 1月 1
痛絵馬 pic.twitter.com/PR5BLemitR
— 忍者 (@heldon2009) 2015, 1月 2
自分が気になった痛絵馬
神田明神より pic.twitter.com/V9sfVuFPwP
— TOMOちゃん (@TOMOtomoBICTOMO) 2015, 1月 1
神田明神は痛絵馬沢山。プロの方からアマまで。 pic.twitter.com/cxzhUfBfsE
— TOJHO (@misttimes) 2015, 1月 1
痛絵馬あった pic.twitter.com/L2PLFuO255
— かたまり (@kattamari) 2015, 1月 2
神田明神。一方痛絵馬は例年通り。もっとラブライブ!一色かと思っていたが艦これなどバラエティあるな。
#akiba pic.twitter.com/2diQCkiK7w
— Takei (@takei) 2015, 1月 2
やっぱ神田明神は痛絵馬おおいねwwwww
二つしかとってないけどもっといっぱいありますww pic.twitter.com/5vFbLYb8R9
— くるみん/ナナシス支配人/麻雀 (@kurumingamesKA) 2015, 1月 2
前回神田明神の絵馬を見た時はラブライブ!の痛絵馬が大半だったけど今回は艦これや他の作品も増えてた! pic.twitter.com/mulj5pegAG
— 伊吹はるま (@yukidaruma_mana) 2015, 1月 2
きんモザ痛絵馬、神田明神に納品しましたー。現地描きで震えながらも全員を!きんモザ2期がんばれー! #kinmosa pic.twitter.com/V2uKBnCxi0
— 陽綾提督+飛鳥 穏香=あけおめことよろ (@2828youaya) 2015, 1月 2