Photo of the Day

Picture of an enormous structure of twisted rice strands hanging over a temple entrance in Japan
April 28, 2022

Sacred Strands

A story in the May 1994 issue documented the global necessity of rice crops. Here, an enormous structure of twisted rice straw, called shimenawa, hangs over Izumo Taisha, a Shinto shrine in Japan.
Photograph by Robb Kendrick, Nat Geo Image Collection

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history