Masakaki

Masakaki (真榊) is an object used in Shinto rituals. It is put on both sides of a table where the event takes place. Masakaki is made with branches of a tree called Sakaki. These branches are attached to the top of colorful cloth banners. The banners are in five colors - green, yellow, red, white, and blue.[1]

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Special treasures are hung on these branches. On the left side, a sword is hung. On the right side, a mirror and a special bead are hung. Sometimes, people call the whole setup with a special name, Masakaki-dai.[1]

The idea of Masakaki comes from old Japanese stories about gods. It is also written about in old history books. A long time ago, when a new emperor named Meiji started ruling, Masakaki was used to decorate Shinto shrines in many places in Japan. At Izumo Taisha, they put long branches on sticks. On the right side branch, they hang a gem, mirror, and colorful cloth. On the left side branch, they hang a sword and colorful cloth.[1]

The five colors of the cloth stand for the five elements. These elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. At funerals, Masakaki with yellow and white banners is used. [1] .