Sakabayashi (sugidama, cedar ball hung at a sake brewery)

Sakabayashi (also called sugidama) is a ball made of bundled cedar leaves, hung from the eaves of a sake brewery. Shaped to a diameter of about 40 cm, the cedar ball plays an important role in announcing that the new sake has been completed. A freshly hung sakabayashi is a vivid green, and as time passes it gradually withers and turns brown. This change in color serves as a signal of how far the new sake has matured, and offers a clue to the progress of the brewery's sake making. In Japanese sake culture, the sakabayashi is also a symbol of the seasonal rhythm of sake brewing.