1.
straw; rice straw
Dried stalks of rice or other grain plants left after threshing. Traditionally used as a material for ropes, mats, sandals, thatched roofs, and natto wrappers, and as bedding for livestock.
Also written with the kanji 藁, though the hiragana form is more common in everyday writing. Refers chiefly to rice straw in Japan, given the centrality of rice cultivation.
Common collocations
- わら細工: straw craft
- わらの屋根: thatched roof
- わらにすがる: to clutch at straws (idiomatic — to grasp at any hope)
- わら半紙: cheap straw-pulp paper (used in schools)
Cultural note
Traditional straw products like 草鞋 (straw sandals), 注連縄 (sacred Shinto ropes), and straw-wrapped 納豆 are still seen today, especially at shrines and in regional foods.