sacred sakaki branch with paper or cloth strips; Shinto offering wand
A ritual offering in Shinto, typically a branch of the sakaki tree decorated with shide (zigzag paper strips) or cloth. Used in ceremonies and presented at shrines.
When visiting the shrine, we offer a tamagushi before the deity.
The Shinto priest attaches paper streamers to the tamagushi.
sakaki tree; Cleyera japonica
Refers to the sakaki tree itself, an evergreen sacred in Shinto. This sense is less common than the offering sense; the tree is usually called 榊 (さかき).
See also: 榊
The sakaki is an evergreen tree indispensable for Shinto rituals.