Shimenawa and Territory: Japanese Culture Created by Mental Boundaries. Diversity Born from Closed Meanings

Before we know it, we are living our lives crossing many "boundaries."

Borders, industries, genres, roles.

In today's digital age, people have the option of not being tied to one place or occupation. Crossing boundaries is often spoken of as a symbol of freedom and growth. On the other hand, staying put is a choice to protect oneself, but in today's ever-changing world, opinions are divided on whether this is valuable or not.

However, if we trace Japanese culture, a slightly different picture emerges.

Don't dare cross the line. Stay within, protect, and deepen.
It is these choices that have fostered diverse cultures, wisdom, and technologies over a long period of time.

Shimenawa is one such symbol. It does not assert anything strongly, nor does it speak loudly of any meaning. However, by remaining there, it quietly conveys the sense of boundaries in Japan.

What is Shimenawa? Its meaning and wishes

Shimenawa are hung at shrines, at the entrances of homes, on old trees and rocks.
Although it is a familiar sight, surprisingly few people have ever really thought about its meaning.

I was one of them, and time passed without me ever learning more about the meaning of shimenawa, and I just saw it as a common sight, or as an object used to decorate shrines or during New Year's.

Shimenawa are markers that separate sacred and unsacred places.

It is a quiet message that indicates a purified place and acts as a barrier to keep out disasters. Its origins date back to ancient Japanese mythology.

The Kojiki records that when Amaterasu Omikami emerged from the cave, a rope was stretched in front of it to prevent her from hiding again, and this is said to be the origin of shimenawa. Shimenawa was a boundary line drawn to ensure that the gods watched over them.

Shimenawa are hung at shrines and household altars to indicate that they are sacred places where gods are enshrined, and when placed at the entrance of a house during the New Year, they serve as a barrier to prevent misfortune from entering the home.

However, what is interesting again is the state of the shimenawa.

Unlike a wall, a shimenawa does not physically block or block anything. It can be easily untied if you want to untie it, and easily crossed if you want to.

Although shimenawa have almost no physical power, people respect their boundaries. They hang them in important places to make invisible boundaries visible. Shimenawa entrusts the judgment to the human heart, projecting "wishes."

My hands were covered in scratches. Thoughts after actually making a shimenawa

I actually had the opportunity to make a shimenawa.

The dried straw is twisted, twisted and pressed together.
It looks simple, but it's more difficult than you might think.

If you're not careful, the shape will easily get out of shape and the straw will come undone. After trying again and again, the dry straw sucked the moisture out of your palms and fingers, causing your skin to gradually turn red and develop more scars.

My skin is sensitive, and as I continued working, my hands quickly became covered in cuts, and I suddenly realized that "it takes a strong will to tie the shimenawa together."

The straw used for shimenawa is made from dried rice leaves harvested when the rice is still green and not yet ripe. Since ancient times in Japan, rice has been treasured not only as food, but also as a substitute for money for taxes and the like, and as a reflection of the gods.

Straw is a precious piece of rice for the Japanese, and powerful thoughts and wishes are poured into it.

"There are things I want to protect. I want to cherish this place."

I felt that the strength of that feeling was reflected in the strength of the force required to twist the straw.

Shimenawa is a barrier that marks the boundary line, but it is also a form of prayer.
Through the act of creating, I felt like I understood this with my body.

Shimenawa and Territory: Boundaries of Life Rooted in Japanese Culture

It is said that in the past, there was a custom in Japan of tying up a sacred rope around the boundary of a village and living only within that area. This single rope served as a signal for villagers not to cross the boundary line. This is said to be the origin of the word "territory."

When we hear the word "territory" in a modern sense, we might get the impression that it is somewhat exclusive and closed off. However, the original meaning of "territory" is slightly different.

It is a security network to protect our lives.

People live within sight of each other, share roles, and sometimes help each other. Instead of crossing boundaries, they protect and strengthen their internal relationships. These relationships have built the foundation of Japanese culture.

Protecting the geographical boundaries of villages and regions not only ensures livelihoods, but also nurtures the jobs and skills that are rooted in the land.

Because people stay within the borders and do not cross them, the wisdom and traditional techniques that were born there have been refined into unique forms over time and passed down without any contact with the outside world.

Don't Stand Out - Cultural Diversity Born from Mental Borders

Shimenawa ropes and stop stones (barrier stones) are symbolic of Japan's thinking regarding borders.
These, in themselves, are not physical deterrents that will stop anyone.

Even so, the Japanese did not cross the boundaries marked by these markers because they had a self-restraint that told them not to go beyond them.

I believe that these "mental boundaries" have influenced various aspects of Japanese culture. The long period of time when Japan has been confined to its own boundaries, both geographically and psychologically, has resulted in surprisingly subtle cultural differences between regions and schools, even within the same country of Japan.

Textiles, crafts, festivals, food.
Selection of natural materials suited to the climate and environment. Unique techniques honed in each region.
And it is a closed form of inheritance, symbolized by the words "not to be shared outside the gates."

For example, Katsushika Hokusai was excommunicated at the age of 35 for stepping outside the bounds of his teacher's school and learning and incorporating other painting techniques. There was a time when crossing boundaries was taken so seriously that it was strongly believed that staying within one's boundaries was the right path.

Based on these values, Japan has chosen to deepen its limited scope within itself. This awareness of deepening one's inner self rather than turning outward has fostered unique cultures that are passed down through regions and families.

I believe that the cultural diversity within Japan has been created by the accumulation of time spent immersed in self-reflection and deepening one's inner self, based on the awareness that "borders must not be crossed."

I have been traveling around Japan for over 10 years, and each time I am amazed by the cultural differences between the regions. Sometimes, they are even more shocking than the cultural differences I experience abroad.

In Japanese culture, people have continued to choose to stay inside rather than go out, and I believe that this long period of time has transformed into the soil for nurturing the unique cultures that differ from community to community.

Japanese culture: placing boundaries in the "heart"

Japan's awareness of borders is unique even from a global perspective. Here, I would like to turn my attention to areas outside of Japan.

Berlin Wall

Borders in the world have often existed as physical walls.
Border fences, barbed wire, concrete walls, and checkpoints are designed to physically deter and stress those who attempt to cross.

Boundaries are built with the assumption that they will be breached.
That is why overcoming these obstacles becomes a challenge and is sometimes spoken of as heroic.

Climb walls, cross borders, conquer.

There is a value in "winning." This is because expansion and growth have been considered righteous in many continental cultures, especially in Europe and the United States. To achieve this, value is also found in the individual standing out from the whole.

Japan's borders, on the other hand, are surprisingly weak.
Anyone can easily climb over the sacred rope and the guardian stone.

It is not walls that establish boundaries, but the air and self-controlled harmony.
Shimenawa is not a command to "stay away." It sends the message that "this place is cherished." Boundaries are drawn not to exclude, but to protect values.

Looking back at history, in many parts of the world, borders and forms of rule have been redrawn countless times.

The expansion and fall of the Roman Empire.
The map of China has been redrawn every time a dynasty has changed.
Egyptian civilization has changed over the ages.

Boundaries were stretched outward and redrawn.

Compared to these global trends, Japan can be said to be a society that has grown over time on the same land without significantly changing the contours of its territory.

Boundaries are not something that expand outward, but rather a firm defensive awareness that faces inward.
That was the nature of boundaries in Japanese culture.

A quiet question for the modern age

Combined with the spread of digital technology, boundaries have become blurred and crossing them has become the norm in today's world.
What extent do we call "inside" and what are we trying to protect?

Is opening up and expanding what makes something rich?
Or is there a different value in deliberately drawing a line and valuing what's inside?
Shimenawa does not force an answer upon you.

However, by simply remaining there, it raises questions.
How to draw the boundaries?

What to protect and what to open?

Shimenawa is not an old custom.
The idea of ​​boundaries still lives quietly somewhere in Japan.