Naturally dried leaves of wild-growing maku (Zizania latifolia) from Kani City, Gifu Prefecture, cultivated without pesticides or fertilizers. This shimenawa (sacred straw rope) is made with maku, tied with seima (purified hemp), and adorned with artificial nanten (Japanese sacred bamboo), sakaki (Cleyera japonica), and ferns. Use it throughout the year, not just for the New Year, in your entryway, room, or car. The shimenawa originally signifies a "boundary," a marker indicating a sacred space. As maku embodies the meaning of a boundary and purification, it is recommended as a talisman for warding off evil and purification. *Due to the nature of maku, the lengths may vary and be prone to breakage, so the craftsmanship is not perfect. The value lies in using maku, which has been cherished and considered sacred by Japanese people since ancient times. *Maku has excellent purifying properties and is said to calm the mind and promote relaxation just by placing it in a room. Width: 13 cm, Height: 30 cm ~What is Maku?~ It is said that when there were no plants on Earth, Susanoo first planted maku on the ground. Therefore, maku is used for the shimenawa of shrines across Japan that enshrine Susanoo, including Izumo Taisha. The shimenawa of Ise Jingu Shrine uses "hemp." Furthermore, there is a Buddhist story that says, because the Buddha had a sick person lie on a maku-woven mushiro (bed), people began to offer "bon goza" (maku mats) and "bon fune" (maku boats) woven from maku during the Obon festival. It has been deeply connected with Japanese people since ancient times and is treated as a sacred grass, a spiritual grass.