The streamers are usually white, although they can also be gold, silver, or a mixture of several colors. The zigzag paper streamers themselves (also referred to as "gohei") are often attached to straw ropes (shimenawa ) used to mark sacred precincts.

The shrine priest or maiden attendants (miko ) use the gohei to bless or sanctify in various Shinto rituals. gohei is used for some ceremonial practices, but its usual purpose is to cleanse the sacred place in temples and to cleanse, bless, or exorcise any object that is thought to have negative energy. In addition to their use in purification rituals like Ōnusa (wooden wand with many shide), they can also be used as an object of worship of Shinto shrines.

References

• Bowker, John W (2002). The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions. New York City: Cambridge University Press.
• Littleton, C Scott (2002). Shinto: Origins, Rituals, Festivals, Spirits, Sacred Places. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press.
• Picken, Stuart DB (2002). The A to Z of Shinto. The Scarecrow Press.