Sacred places are typically marked with a shimenawa (special plaited rope) and gohei (strips of white paper). Placed at the entrances of holy places to ward off evil spirits, or placed around trees/objects to indicate presence of kami. Made of rice straw or hemp, the rope is called nawa. The pieces of white paper that are cut into strips and hung from these ropes (often hung from ropes on Torii gates as well) are called shime or gohei; they symbolize purity in the Shinto faith.
Merchants and businesses, as well as private individuals, often hang the shimenawa on their front doors at special times of the year. In the photo above, the shimenawa hangs from the door of sake brewer Imada Shuzo.
One also often sees the Tamagushi, a sprig of Cleyera orchnacca with attached white-paper-strips (called "shide") used by Shinto priests at ceremonies.
Shimenawa is seen as the demarcations of the holy from the profane. An area denoted by straw rope is often a dividing point between what is earthly and what is heavenly. The Shimenawa come in such a variety of shapes and have so different a design that they are among the most beautiful folk arts of Japan.
Shimenawa defines the dwelling as purified in readiness for the New Year god. The Japanese use it today to bless the home. Often such items as faucets or toilets are bless so that nothing bad enters the house through these water systems. This Shimenawa was created for a New Year's celebration.
In todays practical, but traditional home, a small Shimenawa might be placed on a computer to help stop it from crashing.In Japan you will often find a rock in a lake that has sacred rope around it. This marked rock is believed to be a sacred space or habitat of the gods.
Often more elaborate ropes are made to be placed on gates or doors of temples. This has developed into a folk art of some renown in Japan.
