Shinboku
In old Shinto times, people believed that Shinto shrines were where the gods lived or where the present world and the everlasting world met. They were respected and feared. To make it difficult for bad things, gods, and people to enter and leave easily, shimenawa were hung as barriers, making it a forbidden area. Even now, there are many places such as Okinoshima Island where not only the shrine, sacred tree, or forest of the local guardian are prohibited, but the entire island is. Sometimes, for a specific time period, rituals and festivals are held to invite the gods and bring good fortune.