Ema wooden prayer plaque from Yudonosan Shrine (湯殿山神社), featuring a colourful rooster alongside a traditional Japanese lucky mallet (Uchide no Kozuchi).
The plaque features a beautifully illustrated white rooster with a vibrant red comb and flowing black tail feathers, accompanied by a golden lucky mallet decorated with auspicious ornaments. The inscription 開運招福 (Kaiun Shōfuku) means “Bringing Good Fortune and Inviting Happiness.”
In Japanese culture, the rooster (酉 – Tori) is one of the twelve animals of the Japanese zodiac. Associated with the arrival of dawn, it symbolises new beginnings, vitality, and protection against misfortune.
The Uchide no Kozuchi (打ち出の小槌), or lucky mallet, is a traditional symbol of wealth, prosperity, and good fortune. Often associated with Daikokuten, one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods, this magical mallet is believed to grant wishes and bring abundance.
Yudonosan Shrine (湯殿山神社) is associated with the sacred Mount Yudono in Yamagata Prefecture, an important centre of Japanese mountain worship and part of the spiritual tradition of the Three Mountains of Dewa (Dewa Sanzan).
Ema (絵馬) are traditional wooden plaques offered at Shinto shrines, where visitors write their wishes or prayers and dedicate them to the deities. They are commonly associated with blessings for health, happiness, success, and protection.
Size: 15 x 10cm
