Flames rising on the beach and a tug-of-war between sea and land mark Oiso’s Little New Year
Oiso Sagicho
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year
- Location
- Oiso Kitahama Beach
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Oiso Town(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Oiso Sagicho is a Little New Year fire festival associated with Dosojin, guardian deities of roads and boundaries. The 9 sites built on the beach blaze at night, accompanied by distinctive local events passed down through generations, such as tug-of-war between teams divided between sea and land.
About Oiso Sagicho
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Kinstone File:大磯の左義長（2023年1月） 01.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Kinstone File:大磯の左義長（2023年1月） 02.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Oiso Sagicho is a Little New Year fire festival associated with Seeno Kamisan, a Dosojin deity.
New Year decorations and other auspicious items are gathered at Oiso Kitahama Beach and used to build 9 cone-shaped sites.
Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, it is a local traditional event involving all 9 districts in town.
Through events such as the fire festival and tug-of-war, local prayers and customs of daily life are passed down.
Source: 大磯の左義長／大磯町ホームページ / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
The highlight is the sight of 9 large sites lined up on the beach blazing at night.
As the fires grow strong, the sea-going young men and children on land take part in Yannagokko, pulling against each other on a rope attached to a sled.
A distinctive custom is to roast and eat good-luck dumplings over the fire, along with the ritual of tipping the site toward the auspicious direction.
A distinctive local event that brings together a fire festival and a tug-of-war on the beach.
Flames rising on the beach and a tug-of-war between sea and land mark Oiso’s Little New Year
What to expect
In preparation for the festival, children stay in the temporary shrine for 3 days, roasting mochi and eating mandarins.
A pilgrimage to 7 sites associated with Dosojin is also held around town, and on the 14th, each district builds a site on the beach.
After the fires are lit at night, people roast and eat good-luck dumplings, pull ropes in Yannagokko, and tow a sled back to their district.
There are also scenes of people parading while singing Ise Ondo.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Oiso Kitahama Beach (1990 Oiso, Oiso Town)
- Train and bus
Get off at Oiso Station on the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line or JR Tokaido Line, then walk approximately 10–15 minutes.
- By car
Just off the Oiso Port IC on the Seisho Bypass
- Parking
Oiso Port Parking (regular cars: 310 yen per hour, daily maximum 1,040 yen)
Source: 大磯の左義長｜イベント ｜【公式】神奈川県のお出かけ・観光・旅行サイト「観光かながわNOW」 / 体験やお祭り・イベントで元気に！！ - 神奈川県ホームページ
Address 1990 Oiso, Oiso Town
Dates and season
Oiso's Sagicho is held around mid-January or on the third Saturday of January each year.
On the day of the festival, the site is set alight around sunset. Tourist information gives the lighting time as around 6:30 p.m.
Some information gives different dates depending on the year, so these dates are not treated as fixed for each festival year.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Kanagawa Prefecture / Oiso Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The area around the venue gets crowded, so visitors are advised to use public transportation.
You can walk to Oiso Kitahama Beach from Oiso Station, though sources give the walk as approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
If you use a parking lot, you can check the parking fee information for Oiso Port Parking.
Nearby attractions
六所神社 (大磯町)
神奈川県中郡大磯町国府本郷にある神社
湘南平
神奈川県平塚市と大磯町の境にある丘陵
Origins and History of Oiso Sagicho
Oiso Sagicho has been passed down as a Little New Year fire festival associated with Dosojin, guardian deities of roads and boundaries.
Oiso Town has a legend about the One-Eyed Boy and the god of misfortune, said to explain the origins of Seetobare.
The cultural property description presents it as a series of events, with preparations beginning with the eldest son in December of the previous year, followed by the temporary shrine, the pilgrimage to 7 sites, the sites, and Yannagokko.
It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in December 15, 1997.
Official information
The Oiso Town website’s “Oiso Sagicho” information provides the 2026 date, fire-lighting time, venue address, access details, and parking information.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties also describes its origins and events as a cultural property.
Oiso Sagicho at a Glance
Oiso Sagicho is a Dosojin fire festival featuring 9 sites built on the beach and set alight, tug-of-war between the sea and land, and the custom of eating good-luck dumplings.
All 9 districts in town take part, and many traditions continue from the preparations through the main event, including the children’s temporary shrine and the pilgrimage to 7 sites.
The fires were scheduled to be lit at Oiso Kitahama Beach on January 17 in 2026.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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