Japanese New Year Decoration, Shimekazari

Shogatsu, the New Year, is the most important celebration in Japan, and the preparations start immediately after Christmas, when the Christmas ornaments are replaced with the traditional Japanese decorations. Actually, these are more than just decorations, these are amulets welcoming the New Year's gods (kami), bringing prosperity, good luck, and warding off the bad spirits.

One of these Shogatsu ornamental amulets is the Shimekazari, a braided rice straw rope. Usually displayed above the door, its spiritual role is to protect against evil spirits. To enhance its spiritual power, the Shimekazari is further embellished with auspicious objects, like this one, photographed in Kyoto, which has in the middle a daidai (Japanese bitter orange). Daidai is usually written 橙, but with a different kanji, 代々, can be translated as "from generation to generation".