In Japanese superstition and Shinto practice, a shimenawa is a sacred rope commonly used to mark and protect a purified space from impurity or harmful influences. It may be placed at shrine boundaries, around sacred trees and rocks, or across entrances.
Shimenawa are usually made from twisted rice straw or another fiber and may be decorated with folded white paper strips called shide. At a home, a related New Year decoration can mark the entrance and welcome protective or auspicious forces while separating the household from ritual impurity.
The shimenawa is not simply a universal household good-luck ornament. Its meaning depends on setting: at a Shinto shrine it identifies a sacred boundary, while at a private entrance it can be part of seasonal or protective custom. It also differs from the omamori, a small portable amulet usually obtained at a shrine or temple.