What in the World is This? (1)

We found this item hanging from the ceiling of a traditional building in Takayama, Gifu-ken. What in the World is This?

The answer:

It is a ball of rice straw (?) constructed once a year and hung inside sake shops. It is a symbol that represents a sake shop, particularly in the olden days. The one in this picture, from an old style street in Takayama, Gifu Perfecture, is huge, maybe five feet in diameter.