Originally Sagicho is the very last event of New Year celebration.  It is held on Koshogatsu (Janauary 15^th by the lunar calendar).  Sagicho in Oiso is one of the Significant Intangible Folk-Cultural Asset designated by Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.

9 districts along Kitahama beach pray Seino Kamisan -the guardian deity of Oiso- for good health and happy living.

People make Saito –tall corn-shaped bonfires from New Year’s decorations, straws and bamboo. Then later at night, they lit those from lucky direction of the year, commonly called “eho” in Japanese.  The fire blazed up in the sky, so you will find the scene very spectacular.

Okariya are little huts built along the street temporarily for this season.  Children used to stay and look after Okariya.  

People visit Okariya.  The act of visiting and praying at these Okariya is called Nanatoko-mairi.  

There used to be 7 places, but now there are 8 places, so they chant “Nanatoko maitte Ya toko se”.

Saito –tall corn-shaped bonfires- burn up overwhelmingly.  Then people pulled down Onbe-take of Saito at the lucky direction of the year. (Onbe-take is a tool of purification  set at the top of Saito.)

A group of men gather around the fire of some Saito singing “Ise-0ndo (Sagicho-ondo)”.  After this, Yanna Gokko starts.  One group of men is on the beach, another is in the freezing sea, between them there is Karimiya which is connected to the rope.  This scene just looks like doing a tug-of-war.  Karimiya is believed that evil spirits are in. 

Finally Karimiya is dragged onto the beach and anybody can pull the rope to bring it back to the shrine. 

< Sagicho Kifuda –traditional lucky item made from wood-  >

1 Use a sandpaper to file rough edges from a wooden plate.

2 Make an eyelet.

3 At the back of the wooden plate, write your name on.

4 Put a Sagicho brand on the other side.

5 Put a string through the eyelet.

Now you can hang it from your neck!

< Sagicho Dango –dumplings- >

There is an old tradition that you eat a dumpling at Sagicho so that you won’t catch a cold through the year.

1 Pour water little by little into rice powder and mix them well. Make a dough.

2 Divide a dough into small pieces and make balls in three colors, white, pink and light green.

3 Put them in boiling water.

It’s ready to eat!

4 Put dumplings (ready-made to have cool ones) on a wire.

5 Set the wire with dumplings onto the bamboo stick.

Now it’s ready to roast.