One of the most important spirits for Shinto is Inari (稲荷), the kami of rice, agriculture and fertility. Inari is such a popular deity that, according to a survey, more than one third of the shrines in Japan are dedicated to her. It is no wonder then that the material which is most used for symbolical decorations and offerings in shrines is rice itself.
Shimenawa (注連縄, "enclosing rope") are lengths of braided rice twisted into ropes of various diameters, often hung with shide (紙垂, zigzag paper streamers), and are used to demarcate a sacred space. They can be found on Shinto shrines, torii gates, and sacred landmarks to ward away evil spirits, or around trees to mark those which are believed to be inhabited by wood spirits called Kodama (木霊).
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