the temple adorns its main hall with a huge shimenawa designed to resemble rice stalks. the centuries old tradition is intended to assure an abubdant harvest. workers at the temple have been busy tying straw bundles since early november. the completed shimenawa will be about six meters long and weigh about 00 kilograms. >> translator: visitors come here with all sorts of wishes. we pray that the sacred rope we're making will allow their wishes to come true. >> the decoration will be displayed at the front of the main hall from december 25th to welcome visitors. >>> that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. ññ arehe streets of hong kong calm are now after last night saw some of the worst violence since the pro-democracy protests began. police moved in with peppers gray and batons overnight, arresting some fording students -- 40 students who were trying to storm headquarters. a further police option could be on the way.