What does EMA mean on these pins?

[LynniethePooh]

Hi
What does EMA mean on these pins?
Thanks!

http://www.pinpics.com/cgi-bin/pin.cgi?pin=19459&sid=8922.1086709010.v2 (Minnie EMA)

http://www.pinpics.com/cgi-bin/pin.cgi?pin=19949&sid=8922.1086709010.v2 (Mickey EMA)

[Mr. Plutonium]

Hi!
Uma means horse in Japanese. Could be a mistake in romanization of the Japanese Kanji character. I see a horse in both pins. Sorry, I don't read Kanji.
-Gene

[Mr. Plutonium]

Hi!
Uma means horse in Japanese. Could be a mistake in romanization of the Japanese Kanji character. I see a horse in both pins. Sorry, I don't read Kanji. Was last year the year of the horse in the Asian 12 year cycle? You know that placemat at the Chinese restaurant that has all the 12 animals, pig, dog, monkey, tiger, oxen...

Looked at a English / Japanese dictionary and it says an ema is a votive sign with a horse on it...(probably found in a shinto temple). I never knew what those signs were called before.
-Gene

[LynniethePooh]

Gene,
Thanks for the info and your insight...much appreciated! :D

[Michael623]

I guess I really do learn something new every day.