Sugidama

A sugidama (杉玉), or sakabayashi (酒林), is an object of Japanese origin made by shaping sugi (Cryptomeria) leaves into a ball.

[1] It is said that sugidama originated from the Ōmiwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture, which is dedicated to the god of sake.

It is believed that sugidama were created because sugi trees grow abundantly in the area around Mount Miwa, where the Ōmiwa Shrine is located, and because the sugi trees of Mount Miwa are considered sacred.

Originally, it was customary to display sugidama made from the sugi leaves from Mount Miwa, but since modern times, sake breweries around Japan often make their own sugidama or commission them to be made by a vendor.

The freshly hung sugidama are still verdant, but they eventually wither and turn brown.