noun
cask wrapped in straw matting
A container, typically a barrel or cask, covered with a straw mat (菰/薦). Often associated with traditional sake or soy sauce storage.
酒蔵には古い薦被りがいくつも並んでいた。
In the sake brewery, several old straw-wrapped casks were lined up.
noun
Historical or literary term for a beggar, derived from the image of someone wearing a straw mat as clothing. Not used in modern everyday language.
江戸時代の浮世絵には、薦被りと呼ばれる乞食が描かれることがある。
In Edo-period ukiyo-e, beggars called komokaburi are sometimes depicted.
Compound of 菰/薦 (koma, 'straw mat') + 被り (kaburi, 'covering' or 'wearing on the head'). The beggar sense comes from the image of a person draped in a straw mat.