Ema boards with cat images at Gotokuji Shrine. Ema means picture horse. Worshippers write messages for good luck on the boards.
Wikipedia tells me
In ancient times people would donate horses to the shrines for good favor; over time this was transferred to a wooden plaque with a picture of a horse, and later still to the various wooden plaques sold today for the same purpose.Once inscribed with a wish, Ema are hung at the shrine until they are ritually burned at special events, symbolic of the liberation of the wish from the writer.
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Looking forward to reading your comments and responses. Mary