About Shimenawa Sacred Rope

A Shimenawa rope is the border that separates a Japanese shrine from the outside world.

Beyond merely being a physical marker showing the boundary of the shrine and the outside, Shimenawa sacred ropes also serve to protect the gods' space inside the shrine from any corrupt element of the outside world. It creates a space both to welcome a god, and also to prevent an enshrined deity from leaving. Thus the rope also symbolizes a symbiotic union of the deity and the people who worship there, though their dedication of the rope itself.

As a volunteer group dedicated to preserving the traditions of Japan's shrines, the organizers of the ceremony donate domestically produced hemp and rice straw, and aim to pass on the cherished traditions of the past to the next generation. Donations can also be made at the Awa Koku Ichinomiya or Ozeki Shrines in Tokushima Prefecture, as well as the Kao Shrine in Kyoto.