Project “絵馬” (“Ema”)

During “O-Shogatsu” or the New Year, many people visit shrines and temples in Japan to pray and write on 絵馬, or “Ema”.
Ema are small wooden plaques that can be found at Shinto Shrines or Buddhist temples. One side of the plaque is often decorated with the zodiac animal of the current year, or with symbols of the Shrine or Temple. Worshippers write their wishes or intentions on the blank side and hang them up alongside others, praying that the Gods will grant them.
Later, the plaques are burned in a special ceremony to release the wishes.

2018 is the Year of the Dog. In collaboration with the Association of Florida Teachers of Japanese (AFTJ), we have collected the wishes of students studying Japanese in schools across Florida. Project “Ema”was created to help students practice the language skills they have learned, while granting teachers a new opportunity to teach about an important Japanese tradition.

There are currently 26 institutions that offer Japanese language classes in Florida, including 10 high schools, 13 universities and colleges, and 3 other institutions. This display represents various Japanese language levels and messages from University of Central Florida (Orlando), Lyman High School (Longwood), University of West Florida (Pensacola),
and children from the Pensacola area.