Sugidama (cedar ball hung at sake breweries)

Sugidama (also read sugitama) is a decorative ornament hung from the eaves of a sake brewery to announce that new sake has been made. It is made by bundling cedar leaves and shaping them into a sphere, usually about 40 cm in diameter. The sugidama is also called sakabayashi (酒林), and has long been used as a symbol of sake brewing. It carries the meaning of a wish for the completion of the new sake and for the brewery's prosperity, and it also conveys a sense of the season. The fresh aroma of cedar drifts from it, adding to the atmosphere of the sake brewery.