In the town of Tsuruta next door, a large shimenawa rope is being made to be dedicated to Iwakiyama Shrine in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, in hopes of a good harvest and the safety of the family.
In the mountain path district of Tsuruta Town, which is adjacent to Hirosaki City, a large shimenawa woven from rice straw is made once every three years and dedicated to Iwakiyama Shrine in conjunction with the largest autumn festival in the Tsugaru region, "Oyama Sankei." .
The large shimenawa is made from rice straw collected in the Tsugaru region, and when completed, it will be about 37 meters long and weigh about 200 kilograms.
Since the end of last month, about 10 residents have been gathering at the community meeting place, adding rice straw to the thin rope, adjusting the thickness and length, and continuing to weave it tightly.
The shimenawa making will continue throughout this week, and will be dedicated to Iwakiyama Shrine on the 25th of this month, the first day of the “Oyama Sankei”.
Shinichi Shibuya, representative of the Yamamichi Oshimenawa Production Committee, said, "This is the first work in three years, so it's taking a little time, but it's progressing smoothly. Along with this year's bountiful harvest, the corona disaster will be over as soon as possible. I'm working on it while hoping that it will subside," he said.