Shimenawa

<span title="**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found.** transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Shimenawa
Material	Hemp fiber/Straw
Present location	Japan

Shimenawa (標縄/注連縄/七五三縄, lit. 'enclosing rope') are ropes ^[1] used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion.

Shimenawa come in different sizes, ranging from a few centimeters to several meters in diameter, and are often adorned with shide, which are traditional paper streamers. When a space is enclosed by shimenawa, it is considered sacred or ritually pure, such as in a Shinto shrine.^[2] Shimenawa are believed to ward off evil spirits and are commonly used in Jichinsai before constructing new buildings. They are also commonly found at Shinto shrines, torii gates, and other sacred landmarks.

Shimenawa, are also placed on objects believed to attract spirits or be inhabited by them, known as yorishiro. This includes trees called shinboku, with the spirits believed to inhabit them known as kodama. Cutting down these trees is considered to bring misfortune. Similarly, stones believed to be inhabited by spirits are known as Lua error in Module:Unicode_data at line 293: attempt to index local 'data_module' (a boolean value)..^[3]

Image gallery

Shimenawa Media

Amaterasu emerges from the Heavenly Rock Cave (Shunsai Toshimasa, 1887)
Daidai in Epcot.
Sacred straw rope at New Year's (shimenawa), Katori City, Japan
Yokohama Sumo Wrestler Defeating a Foreigner. Ukiyo-e (Woodblock print).
Hemp fiber to make shimenawa
Himorogi in Japan
Kamidana
Statue of Raijin in Sanjūsangen-dō, Kyoto, Japan. About 1m tall, dated to 13th century Kamakura period. It has been designated as National Treasur