◆Shimenawa decorations add a touch of elegance to box shrines and small Shinto altars. Crafted with a refreshingly green rice plant, hemp, and mizuhiki for a modern, contemporary style, these reliable, made-in-Japan products are a surefire way to relax.

Shimenawa not only feature paper streamers, but also mizuhiki and hemp, two elements that have been essential in Shinto rituals since ancient times. They symbolize the mizuhiki connecting people and the hemp purifying impurities. Shimenawa also function as a barrier separating the divine realm from the mortal world, preventing impurities from entering.

Shimenawa are said to have originated from the myth of Amaterasu Omikami, recorded in the Kojiki. Long ago, when the gods brought Amaterasu out of a cave, they tied a shimenawa around the cave, telling her not to enter again, and thus it came to be used as a barrier between the divine realm and the sacred realm.

Shimenawa comes with paper streamers, essential for shrines, rituals, and sacred objects. Shidare is modeled after thunder and lightning, and is said to have the meaning of striking and driving away evil spirits that approach the sacred area with lightning.

It is generally customary to replace shimenawa with new ones before the end of the year. Welcome the new year with a new shimenawa. *When ordering, please be aware of our winter holidays.