Warazaiku – Iwai Tsuru – big

Warazaiku, a craft made of straw. Tightly intertwined with agriculture and the Shinto religion, it was traditionally crafted by farmers with the byproduct of rice harvest. Made by coiling the straw between the palms of the craftspeople’s hands, prayers for good fortune are interwoven into the amulet. A precious amulet made of rice straw by the skilful hands of the Kai Family, craftsmen from Miyazaki Prefecture, where legends say that a powerful deity descended to Earth with a sheaf of rice, bringing prosperity to Japan. Tsuru, or Japanese cranes, are a symbol of longevity and loyalty as these magnificent animals form couples that stay together for life.