[Meiwa Kanko Shosha] We will be distributing ema related to the legend of ema and Saiku ema.
*Meiwa Tourism Trading Company*
Press release: September 14, 2024
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We will be distributing ema related to the Saiku ema legend. *~Reproducing extinct customs through the development of gift items~* Meiwa Kanko Shosha, a general incorporated association that promotes the development of a tourist area in Meiwa Town, Mie Prefecture (head office: Meiwa Town, Taki District, Mie Prefecture, hereinafter referred to as Meiwa Kanko Shosha), is working with local residents to revitalize Take Shrine (Saikyu Shrine, Meiwa Town, Taki District, Mie Prefecture). 2757-2) will be distributing new ema related to the Saiku ema legend from September 16th (Monday). The illustration on the votive tablet is a reference to the sacred treasure “Saikyu Ema” of Take Shrine. Saiku used to be a place where fortune-telling using votive tablets (votive tablets) was used. Customs that have become extinct are being recreated as gifts.
*Regional revitalization centered on Take Shrine*
*Many shrines are finding it difficult to operate due to a decrease in shrine parishioners and weakening of local communities and connections such as neighborhood associations*
It has become. At Take Shrine in Meiwa Town, Meiwa Tourism Trading Company will start an initiative in 2022 to use tourism as a means to solve the local issues faced by Take Shrine. Led by members of Meiwa Kanko Shosha who studied Shinto at university, we are conducting a “demonstration project for sustainable shrine management” that brings out the earning power of the region. Up until now, we have been working with Take Shrine parishioners to revitalize the local community and expand the number of people involved, from a perspective unique to tourism area development, such as planning goshuin stamps, disseminating information, and utilizing the sacred forest.
* Developing gift items that give form to customs that have become extinct * In Saiku, there used to be an ema-do hall, where fortune-telling was performed using votive tablets. The votive tablets used for
fortune-telling and dedicated at the Emadō were donated to Takejinja Shrine after the Emadō was abolished at the end of the Meiji period, and are now sacred treasures. Although the actual method of
fortune-telling has ceased to exist, we have given form to the story of the Saiku Ema, which has been passed down as a folklore, and have developed new gifts to pass it on in the region.
*Future initiatives*
The main purpose of the demonstration experiment for sustainable shrine management that we are working on with Take Shrine is to hold the Senza Festival, a Shinto ritual to rebuild the shrine building once every 20 years. To this end, the cooperation of local
parishioners is essential. In the future, Meiwa Tourism Trading Company will continue to discover the history and culture of each area that has been buried over time,*
We aim to raise parishioner awareness by disseminating information within and outside the region through gifts and events*.
*Illustrator Yuki Koishikawa*
Watch the “Saikyu Hono Takigi Noh” held in November 2023. He also visited Takejinja Shrine and was so impressed that he decided to take on the role of designing the Saiku Ema.
Pattern artist, miscellaneous goods designer, graphic artist, art director, photographer.
He is in charge of the design and art direction of the gifts presented at shrines around the country.
*Comment from Yuki Koishikawa regarding the ema design for Take Shrine* “The Noh song “Ema” that has been passed down in Meiwa Town has a wonderful legend that goes, “If you hang an ema with a white horse on it, it will bring sunshine, and when you hang an ema with a black horse on it, it will bring rain.” When I first heard this story, I was struck by its cuteness. Also, last fall, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to watch a Noh play “ema” in Meiwa Town, and with that emotion in mind, I created this ema.
The white horse has symbols of the sun and blue sky, and the black horse has symbols of water drops and rain clouds, reflecting each element in the design. This votive tablet is a gift, and unlike talismans and amulets, there is no need to burn it, so feel free to take it home with you. We hope this will be an opportunity for you and your family to talk about the legend of Meiwa Town’s ema. ”
* What is “Saikyu Sedamashi”, a fortune-telling using votive tablets that was once held in Saiku *
You can learn about fortune-telling using votive tablets that was carried out in Saiku from the Noh play “Ema”.
“The votive tablets used in Noh songs are hung every year on the night of Setsubun by Amaterasu Omikami.It is said that the color of the horse’s coat will bring good luck to the next year.It is replaced every year at midnight on the last day of December. Depending on the color of the rice bundles carried on the backs of the votive horses, they were determined to be early, middle, or late rice, and these are said to be “Saikyu’s World Damashi.”
* About Take Shrine *
This shrine was established in 1911 by combining the deities of 25 shrines located in the former Saiku village. It was originally located in Takekawa’s hometown, but during the Meiji period it was moved to its current location, where Nonomiya Shrine was enshrined. The remains of large-scale walls and buildings with dug-out pillars from the Heian period have been excavated in the surrounding area, and it is said that this may have been the site of Saio’s palace. Additionally, the votive tablets that were used in the ema hall, which are named after the popular song “Ema,” are now kept at this shrine.
* About Meiwa Kanko Trading Company General Incorporated Association * Meiwa Tourism Trading Company is registered with the Japan Tourism Agency as a central entity that promotes tourism measures that more effectively link tourism resources and local resources in Meiwa Town, Mie Prefecture, and works on tourism area development and hometown tax support. Regional DMO & regional trading company. Representative Director: Yoshihito Senda
Address: 3039-2 Saiku, Meiwa-cho, Taki-gun, Mie Prefecture