Next time you visit a Shinto shrine, look out for the Shimenawa. Crafted from twisted rice straws, these ropes play a big role in Shinto tradition, marking the line between our world and the sacred. Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted one in My Neighbour Totoro wrapped around a Shinboku (a sacred tree.)

While they come in various sizes, Izumo Taisha boasts the Godzilla of Shimenawa, weighing in at 4.5 tonnes. Unlike the usual right-twisted ropes, this one goes left, using a unique method called Daikoku-jime, to honour Daikoku, the deity of happiness and good fortune. On a smaller scale, you might see Shimenawa in a home or office to ward off evil spirits, like Karen from accounting who keeps stealing your lunch from the fridge.