Chapter I
What it means
A shimenawa says: here is something sacred. Tied around an ancient tree or a great rock, it shows that a kami The gods or sacred powers of Shinto, present in nature, ancestors and great people. Glossary dwells there. Hung across a shrine gate or hall, it marks the boundary of the pure space within.
The rope keeps evil and impurity out, and the white paper streamers that hang from it, the shide, show that the place is clean and holy.
Chapter II
Where it comes from
Japan’s ancient chronicles tell how the sun goddess Amaterasu hid in a cave, plunging the world into darkness. When the gods lured her out, a rope was stretched across the cave mouth so that she could not hide again. This is often given as the origin of the shimenawa.
Ropes of different thickness and style are made by shrines and villages, often by hand from new straw each year.
Chapter III
Where you see it today
The giant shimenawa of Izumo Taisha shrine, more than thirteen metres long, is among the largest in Japan. At New Year many homes hang a small decorated rope over the door to welcome the gods of the year and keep misfortune out.