Akamatsu Prayer Ema (votive plaques) for Exam Success
“Ema” are small wooden votive plaques on which people write their wishes or prayers, sometimes accompanied by drawings. They are offered at shrines and temples either when making a wish or in gratitude when a wish has been fulfilled.
At Shirahata Mountain Castle—renowned as “the invincible castle”, or “the castle that never falls”—these ema are especially popular among students and professionals, who dedicate them as charms for success, particularly in hopes of passing entrance or certification exams.
We warmly invite you to stop by and offer your own prayer for success.
The Ema of Shirahata Mountain Castle can be purchased at the following three locations:
1) the tourist information center in front of JR Kamigōri Station,
2) the Akamatsu Community Center near Kokenawa Station, and
3) an unmanned sales stand at the trailhead near the Ema display area.
Each ema is priced at 500 yen. Please note that the unmanned stand accepts 100-yen coins only.
The Ema display racks are located at the summit of Shirahata and at entrance to the hiking trail on Shirahata Mountain Castle. An Ema rack is a designated space within a sacred site where visitors hang their ema after inscribing their wishes.
Access to the summit of Shirahata is via a hiking trail of approximately 3.9 km from Kōnohara-Enshin Station, or 2.2 km from the trail entrance of the mountain. For those who may find the mountain climb difficult, another Ema rack is placed near Kōnohara-Enshin Station and at the Shirahata Mountain trailhead, allowing broader participation.
Please note that pens are not provided at the Ema rack sites; visitors are kindly requested to bring their own oil-based pens when writing on the ema.
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