When I went back to Japan for the winter break, I went through the annual family tradition during the New Years, and it made me think more about the Japanese culture and how the religion influences it. Shinto,神道, is a religion that was born out of Japanese life style. There is a lot of emphasis on the presence of spirit in nature; Shinto also values the coexistence of nature and humans in peace, encouraging people to be sincere. Because Shinto traditions are built into our daily life style, many Japanese are not even aware of the religious influence or don’t feel the need to call themselves as believers of Shinto. 

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* Shide(四手, zig-zag shaped paper) -used in Shinto ritual of purification, the one I used is in Yoshida style, Shinto priest swings the shide over people and items to purify them, it comes with the shimenawa to represent the presence of spirit in shrines and nature. 

* Shimenawa (〆縄, rope) -laid rice straw or hemp rope and it indicated scared/pure space, usually comes with shide, used on shrines and sacred land marks such as trees and large stones.