A huge "ema," or votive pictorial tablet, depicting a tiger, the oriental zodiac sign for next year, made an appearance at the oratory of Matsunoo Grand Shrine, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto, on November 25. A New Year's mood was in the air as some visitors took commemorative photos and others got shots to use when making New Year's cards.

The ema is 3.2 meters high by 5.5 meters wide. The annual event started in 1983, and this year's original drawing was painted by Japanese-style painter Mitei Fujiwara from Sakyo Ward and dedicated by "Matsunoo Kai," a group of vendors for the grand shrine.

A papier-mache tiger is portrayed along with a calabash and a sake cup, suitable for the grand shrine which honors a god of sake. A local man who visited the shrine with his first grandchild for the seven-five-three festival said, "I wish for a vibrant and prosperous year ahead, benefiting from the energy of the tiger."