Experience a Traditional Village Festival at Ogi Harbor Festival
Summer festivals held from July to August at various venues across Sado are full of the island's special charm as are Spring Festivals held in April when dedication of ondeko takes place. Ogi Harbor Festival held on August 29 and 30 is a festival with a history that goes back to the Edo Era. Rice was dedicated to Kisaki Shrine, and Ogi Harbor flourished as a trading port of silver and gold.
I was blown away when I looked at the schedule for the entire festival to see what events were taking place. There are 18 events scheduled on the first day starting with the offering (Kumiokesa) at Kisaki Shrine at 8:45 am to the fireworks that begin at 8 pm. There are 9 events planned for the following day. It's an impressive number of events for such a small town. Curious to find out more, I asked Sho Watanabe, the chairman of Korei Kai that will be performing "Matsuri Taiko" (Festival Taiko) all afternoon on the 30th, to help us navigate Ogi Harbor Festival.
"The festival starts in the morning on the 29th, when the kids perform Kumiokesa and Yosakoi Soran Rock. (Both are folksongs.) Then from about 10 am, we'll be going around town performing Kojishimai (a traditional dance) and Chitochinton. They will be performing until about 6 pm, so you'll be able to see them somewhere around town, but most certainly at the dedication at Kisaki Shrine, 10:00 am for Chitochinton and 12:00 for Kojishimai," says Mr. Watanabe. The afternoon will feature performances of Ondeko, Matsuri Taiko, O-jishimai (Giant Lion Dance), and appearance of Mikoshi (palanquin-like portable shrine.) The entire town will be one big party.
Having taken Taiko lessons since eleven years old, Sho Watanabe revived "Korei-no Kai" six years ago.
Star Mine and Wide Star Mine will decorate the skies above the ocean along with the only two three-shaku balls on the island.
Kojishimai of Inari-cho. The dance is performed wearing a head of a deer and while playing the drum worn around the waist. After going around to houses around town on the 30th, dedication at Inari Shrine will take place around 18:00.
Dancing in the round called "O-jochin" (literally Giant Lantern) continues into wee hours of the night. Everyone is welcome to participate, so put on your dancing shoes and join the fun!
Special events will take place on a temporary stage built in Ogi Harbor Park in the evening followed by fireworks. "The main attraction of the fireworks is the three-shaku balls (the largest fireworks; shaku roughly equals a foot) of course, but the fireworks are dedicated to celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, Kanreki (in Japanese and Chinese astrology, 60th birthdays are special as it signifies having made it around the entire cycle of 5 elements each containing 12 years) for the entire town, so I'd like people to enjoy the message in each firework." The party doesn't end with fireworks. Mr. Watanabe continues, "Okesa-nagashi (dancing in the round) will start at 7 pm in the town center, and we'll be dancing Ogi Okesa, the roots of Sado Okesa, until wee hours of the night."
On the following day, the 30th, "Iwasakiden: Sado Onikenbai" (a Buddhist dance danced with a mask of a goblin) will join the party. This group was started by Yoshikazu Fujimoto of Kodo in 2007. Mikoshi Nagashi (Mikoshi parade) and Matsuri Taiko, in which Mr. Watanabe will perform as part of Korei-no Kai, will take place in the afternoon. Korei-no Kai has about 30 members from 7-year olds to those in their fifties. After months of regular practice, they will finally have a chance to show off their skills.
"I think people of Ogi really like festivals. Even those that have left the island come back for it. What's really neat about the festival is that townspeople, tourists, members of Kodo, adults and children, we all enjoy the party as one big family. You can pull the float, you can dance, you can fully participate in the festival as you wish."
DATA
Ogi Harbor Festival
- Satuday & Sunday, August 29 & 30
- Venue: Ogi Shopping Area, Around town, Kisaki Shrine (dedication), etc.
- Fireworks: Saturday, August 29 from 20:00 to 21:00 at Ogi Harbor
- Tel.0259-86-2216 (Ogi Harbor Restoration Association / Business and Commerce Association