Japan History and Culture

Sacred straw festoon (Shimekazari, 玉飾り)

Shimekazari(標飾り)is one of New Year’s decorations, many house and companies   hang on the top of the house entrance or in the kitchen above the stove for block the invasion of bad luck or wards off evil spirits and welcome the gods (Shintoism God). Some even decorate the front of their cars with shimekazari after a car wash. These are made from sacred twisted straw rope hung with strips of white paper and pieces of straw ,shaped into one or more rings.

These consist of propitious decorations, most commonly an orange because orange (daidai is a small citrus)) sounds like “many generations”. It is a wish for fertility and lots of descendants, kelp (Konbu) sounds similar to the word, yorokobu (to be happy), a lobster, ferns with white-backed leaves, folding fan and attached to them. It has a modest and simple one. The lettering says daikichi, which means best luck, and that little cat is a manekineko. It is holding a golden coin in one paw and beckoning with the other. It is beckoning for more coins. each one of those decorations is significant, symbol of a prayer for longevity, academic success, prosperity and so on.