Airport News Japan

JAL Helping Test-Takers with Shrine Prayer Board at Fukuoka Airport

Enlarge Image

Jumbo-seized ema at Fukuoka Airport

On December 22, a special, extra-large board for placing prayers was placed in Terminal 1 (for domestic flights) of Fukuoka Airport in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The board has been provided courtesy of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, which is located in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture and is where many students go to pray for success prior to taking exams. The board is used by hanging wooden plaques called ema on it, on which are written the person's prayer and quite often a hand-drawn or printed illustration.

Japan Air Lines Co., Ltd. (JAL) arranged for the board to be placed in front of its check-in counter on the first floor of the terminal in order to give the test-takers the company's support. While the board is there, traveling students and their families and friends will be free to write their prayers on ema and hang them up. JAL staff will then offer the ema to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in February, which is the test-taking season in Japan.

The jumbo-sized ema setup is "a standard annual event during the testing season" at domestic airports, according to an aviation industry insider. Many airports that do not have direct routes to Fukuoka are also putting on similar events, which in most cases will have the ema sent on connecting flights to Fukuoka Airport, from whence they will then be delivered to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

The offering board will be up at Fukuoka Airport until early February.

250-Yen One-Way Flights in Sales Promo from New LCC PeachDelta to Fly 21 Charter Flights to Honolulu from 10 Regional AirportsFirst LCC Peach Aircraft Arrives at Kansai Prior to Service Start in March 2012Skymark Announces Details on First Phase of Narita Shuttle - Routes to Sapporo and Asahikawa, Web DiscountsFirst Ever "Runway Walk" at Fukuoka Airport to Raise Disaster Reconstruction Donations