「Shin Samuraiden YAIBA」Aoyama Gooshoo-sensei Dedicates Grand Ema Crafted Over 3 Days! “To Symbolize the Reiwa Era 200 Years From Now” – Tokyo Sensoji Event Report

To commemorate the dedication of the grand ema (votive tablet) for the TV anime `Shin Samuraiden YAIBA`, a special “Shin Samuraiden YAIBA Sensoji Ema Dedication Ceremony” was held. This exciting event took place on August 18, 2025, which also marks “YAIBA no Hi” (YAIBA Day), at the foot of the historic Five-Story Pagoda of Sensoji Temple, a location deeply intertwined with the anime. The ceremony welcomed original author Aoyama Gooshoo-sensei, Geradon comedians Attack Nishimoto and Kamichii, and Sensoji’s Representative Director and Chief Priest Moriyama Yuujun. With Geradon, two self-proclaimed huge fans of Aoyama-sensei, serving as the masters of ceremony, the event kicked off to enthusiastic applause as Aoyama-sensei and Moriyama Yuujun-sama took the stage.

A Glimpse of the Ceremony: Image Gallery

Dive into more captivating moments from the `Shin Samuraiden YAIBA` Ema Dedication Ceremony at Sensoji, showcasing the vibrant atmosphere and the magnificent ema itself.

Shin Samuraiden YAIBA Sensoji Ema Dedication Ceremony

Introduction: A Special Day for Shin Samuraiden YAIBA

The Unveiling of a Historic Ema

The highly anticipated grand ema, featuring protagonist Kurogane Yaiba, was unveiled with great fanfare. As attendees cheered, Yaiba and Aoyama-sensei together revealed the magnificent votive tablet. This grand ema, making its debut appearance, was crafted from a 200-year-old tree from the Denpoin Garden within the Sensoji Temple grounds. Its creation involved the skilled artisans of the Nanbu Hakuun Wood Carving Studio in Toyama, a workshop with a legacy dating back to the Meiji 31st year (1898). Aoyama-sensei shared his creative process, explaining that he used a mix of magic ink and traditional sumi ink for the drawing. He remarked, “Knowing it was a 200-year-old tree, brimming with history, made me quite nervous.”

Aoyama-sensei further recalled the meticulous care he took while illustrating, stating, “I was very careful not to touch the surrounding carvings.” He revealed that the artwork took him three full days to complete. When asked about the most challenging aspects of drawing on such a large ema, he pointed to the awkward “posture required for drawing” and the need to “draw in harmony with the wood grain,” highlighting the unique difficulties of working on such a grand, natural canvas.

A Legacy Etched in Wood: Sensoji’s Tradition

This dedication marks a truly historic moment, as it is the first time a grand ema has been dedicated at Sensoji Temple in approximately 100 years, since the Taisho era. Aoyama-sensei’s artwork now stands alongside pieces by legendary historical artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasegawa Settan, and Hemmi (Kano) Kazunobu. Moriyama Yuujun-sama, elucidating on the rich history of ema at Sensoji, shared his profound thoughts: “My imagination soars, thinking that perhaps even the shoguns of old might have touched this 200-year-old tree.” He expressed deep gratitude for the ema, stating that Aoyama-sensei’s grand ema “will remain as a temple treasure, symbolizing the social conditions of the Reiwa era, even 200 years from now.”

Festive Celebrations and Black Oni Dance

Following the ema dedication, Attack Nishimoto delighted the audience with his impressive “katabuki” (cookie cutter) challenge. To celebrate the occasion, he showcased a special “YAIBA Katabuki” featuring Kurogane Yaiba’s distinctive hairstyle, created specifically for Aoyama-sensei. The performance brought much laughter and excitement to the venue. Aoyama-sensei chuckled, commenting on the unique design: “From my position, I couldn’t see Yaiba’s hair at all!”

Adding to the festivities, Kamichii, accompanied by the energetic Kurooni Dancers, performed the “Kurooni Dance.” With Yaiba watching on, the performance was set to “ACTION!,” the ending theme for the second cour of `Shin Samuraiden YAIBA`, performed by Yagi Kairi and Denon Yuugi, further honoring the ema dedication.

A Heartfelt Farewell and Public Exhibition

As the event drew to a close, Aoyama-sensei extended his gratitude to the fans gathered: “Thank you for coming despite the heat. Please continue to support both `Shin Samuraiden YAIBA` and `Meitantei Konan` (Detective Conan), which are currently airing.” The event concluded with resounding success, leaving a lasting impression on all attendees.

Fans eager to see this magnificent piece of art for themselves will be pleased to know that the grand `Shin Samuraiden YAIBA` ema will be publicly exhibited at Sensoji Temple’s Five-Story Pagoda from August 19th until the end of September. (Please note: The exhibition may be canceled in case of rain).

Event Details and Broadcast Information

Event Summary

Date: August 18 (Monday), 10:00 AM – 10:35 AM
Venue: In front of Sensoji Temple’s Five-Story Pagoda (2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku)
Attendees: Aoyama Gooshoo, Geradon (Attack Nishimoto, Kamichii), Sensoji Representative Director and Chief Priest Moriyama Yuujun

Voice Actor Information

Character	Voice Actor
Young Miyamoto Musashi	Suwabe Junichi

TV Anime `Shin Samuraiden YAIBA` Broadcast Information

Broadcasting: Currently airing on Yomiuri TV / Nippon TV national network, Saturdays at 5:30 PM (excluding some regions).

Streaming Information:

The fastest streaming services, Netflix and ABEMA, begin distribution every Saturday at 6:30 PM, following the “Aoyama Gooshoo Hour” broadcast.

Other streaming services are scheduled to begin distribution sequentially from Tuesdays at 12:00 AM onwards, including:

Disney+, DMM TV, d Anime Store, FOD, Hulu, J:COM Stream, Lemino, milplus, niconico (Niconico Live Broadcast / Niconico Channel), Prime Video, TELASA, TVer, U-NEXT, ytv MyDo!, Anime Houdai, Bandai Channel, and more.

Written by Nakase Koutarou

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