At Shinto shrines, the sacred places are marked with
shimenawa, a twisted rice straw rope. The making of a
shimenawa is strictly regulated by the Shinto religion, for example it is twisted always to the left, and it is always displayed with the thick end towards the right side. The size of
shimenawa varies from a simple cord to spectacular heavy ropes, such as the one photographed here.
This is the
Kagura-den of the Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine in Shimane, known to feature the largest
shimenawa in Japan: this amazing artifact is 13.5 meters long, at its thickest point has a diameter of 8 meters, and it weights about 4,500 kilograms!
Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, Izumo, Shimane EXIF info:
Nikon Df
Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: F/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/500s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 640