The beginning of construction

Japanese: 作事始 - さくじはじめ

This is a ceremony to mark the start of construction work. It was known as an annual event in the Muromachi Shogunate in the olden days, and was held on January 11th, the same day as the Gojo-hajime ceremony. According to the "Nenchu-joreiki" (Record of Annual Meetings) from around 1540 (Tenbun 9) and Ise Sadahisa's "Kubo-sama Shogatsu Goji Hajime-no-ki" (Record of the Beginning of the New Year's Works), on that day the magistrate of construction, magistrate of construction, magistrate of construction, and right-hand craftsmen would attend the garden, and six vassals would come out of the field, put on white kimonos over kosode and dyed hakama, put sand in their kimonos, place them in front of the palace, and then place the sand in the garden. Five to six people from the garden would come out and spread the sand, sweep it over with a broom, decorate the timber, place a carpenter's ruler over it, and draw ink.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

造作関係の仕事始めの儀式。古くは室町幕府の年中行事として知られ，御評定始めの儀式と同じ正月11日であった。1540年(天文9)ころの《年中恒例記》や伊勢貞久の《公方様正月御事始之記》によると当日は御作事奉行，御普請奉行，御作事，右筆らが庭上に伺候し，畠山より被管人6人が出て小袖の上に白の帷子を着，かちんに染めた袴をはき，もっこに砂を入れ，御殿の正面にすえ，砂を御庭におく。御庭の者が5～6人出て砂をひろげその上をほうきではき，材木を飾り曲尺をあてて墨を引く。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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