There are some years in life when you want to get away from it all and spend your New Year’s holiday somewhere remote (and hopefully beautiful). For some of our guests, Ojika Island is that place. During this time of the year, you might be the only tourist on the island, which seems to be asleep with locals tucked away at home in front of the TV. This is also the time of the year when the boats that dot the island’s shores are decorated with very festive-looking flags. These are called Tairyō-bata (大漁旗).

On New Year’s Eve, the island is bustling. There is a rush of locals in town getting groceries and other last bits and pieces that they need to prepare for the New Year. Everything is closed on the 1st, so it’s your last chance to stock up on food and drinks.

Fishermen are also busy preparing. The flags go up on the 31st!

So what are these flags? Traditionally, fishermen put them up to celebrate a big catch, and the name Tairyō-bata is literally translated as “big catch flag”. On New Year’s Eve, they symbolize the hope for the big catch in the upcoming year.

All the flags are colorful, featuring designs that incorporate the boat owner’s name and sea motifs.

Besides the 1st of January, there is only one other occasion you can witness the flags. It’s the boat parade that is held once in two years.

Fishermen proudly parade their boats cutting through the waves, letting the engine roar. Locals come to shore to cheer, and the sight makes your heart fill up with pride and joy.

These days, the flags are a rare sight. The number of fishermen is declining, and the active fishermen are mostly elderly men, some of whom choose to let go of old traditions. The colorful flags are tucked away in a chest and eventually forgotten.

Thinking of ways to give the flags a second chance at life, we came up with an idea to upcycle them into a beach clean-up kit.

We offered to buy the Tairyō-bata flags from families who were not fishing any longer. We then asked local ladies to sew simple bags that can be used as cleaning kits for beaches.

Inside the bag, there are gloves and a trash bag that can be put to use at Ojika’s beaches.

For those of you who are visiting Ojika Island during the New Year, make sure to be on the lookout for the colorful Tairyō-bata flags. Wishing all fishermen a BIG catch and all of you BIG luck in 2026!