noun
bamboo grass; small bamboo
Refers to small, running bamboo species (genus Sasa and similar) that do not shed their leaf sheaths; common in Japanese gardens, forests, and as a motif.
庭の隅に笹が生い茂っている。
Bamboo grass is growing thickly in the corner of the garden.
七夕には笹の葉に願い事を書いた短冊を飾る。
For Tanabata, we decorate bamboo grass leaves with strips of paper on which we write wishes.
Rarely used kanji form.
Rarely used kanji form.
竹 is the general term for bamboo, including larger, timber-like species; 笹 refers specifically to small, running bamboo grasses.
The origin is uncertain; the kanji 笹 is a kokuji (Japanese-created character) combining 竹 (bamboo) and 世 (world/generation), possibly suggesting a common, low-growing bamboo.