windfall

Rope made by twisting together rice straw is used a great deal in gardening and in traditional decorations you see at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. When plants are carefully trussed up in it for the winter, gardens gain a striking new layer of geometry. I had thought that protecting the plants this way was more-or-less optional, but finding a huge amount of fallen cedar branches — and no rice straw in use — has made me think otherwise. There are lots of scenes like this one in the temple gardens located near our house.

In addition to the ways rice straw is used in the garden, the local museum exhibits everything from snowboots, sandals, outerwear and mats made of rice straw.