In Japan, New Year’s isn’t just about the dropping of the ball. It’s the turning of a new leaf, and with it come numerous traditions from fortune telling to warding off evil spirits and drawing cute anime girls on wooden plaques… Wait, what?
The notorious “ita-ema” (痛絵馬) are back again this year in full force at the Kanda Shrine near Japan’s geek mecca, Akihabara. Japanese blog Hachima Kikou collected pictures of the various ita-ema at the shrine from around the twitter-sphere.
What is usually a custom for writing wishes and requests to the Shinto gods, like prayer notes in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, in the recent years, ita-ema have evolved (devolved?) into artists and geeks simply writing down random messages. One elaborate ita-ema even had a relief of Shimakaze from Kan Colle, showing some of the creative and funny ways people express their hope for good fortune, good health, and general geekdom.
I should go put one up…
Comments
4 responses to “It Just Wouldn’t Be New Year’s Without Anime Girls On Wooden Plaques”
Looks like someone got Naka’s introductory line wrong.
Lots of KanColle stuff on there actually. I guess praying to the gods is appropriate given how random it can be.
So, even people in Japan are pissing on the history of their own culture or am I reading too much into it?
Depends on who you talk to I’d think. The youth would say they are trying to help Japanese culture become more progressive, while the elderly would say the youth have no respect for tradition. Either way, there is a big problem with Japanese culture being mired in outdated traditions and ways of thinking, especially regarding women and foreigners.
The girl centaur biting on the hanging cord as though it was the bit of the bridal is by far the best.