A Picture of Imaginary Marriage
In the Murayama area of Yamagata, located in the northern part of Japan, there is a custom which is called “mukasari ema”. Mukasari means “marriage” in local dialect. Mukasari ema are the paintings of marriage. But the bride or groom was not in this world when the painting was made. Mukasari ema are for children or young people who passed away before marriage.
Parents who lost their children make mukasari ema. They count the age of their deceased children, and imagine “My child might have got married by now.” A picture of the wedding is made and offered to a temple. Parents pray that their children would find their spouse in the after world so that they won’t feel lonely. There is a rule to make mukasari ema. The face of the imaginary spouse should not be modeled on a living person, otherwise, this person might be taken away to the next world.
It is said the practice began during the Edo period, a few hundred years ago. There are some Buddhist temples where mukasari ema are offered in the Murayama area. An example of this is the Wakamatsu Kannon Jakusho-ji Temple in Tendo City, which has many mukasari ema. This temple has a small hall where mukasari ema are displayed. I visited the temple and found out some were made in the Heisei era, which started in 1989 when Emperor Akihito took the throne. The custom of mukasari ema still exists.
