書き初め！

It's that time of year again—kakizome, first writing! The tradition, I gather, is to write happy thoughts for the new year with ink ground from the first draw from the well. A faucet will have to do—or maybe an unopened bottle of water. Hmm. (I think the thing is to write on Jan 2, so I could make a water run, to do it right.) Then burn the writings, on the 15th or so; better apply for a bonfire permit. I've read that the festival in which 書初め are burned is 左義長, Sagichou, the major shrine being Tsurugaoka-Hachimanguu, in Kamakura.

I wonder what might be the history of 左義長—any connection with the ancient government post of Minister of the Left? Or with the (now defunct) 1000-year-old ginkgo tree to the left of the temple stairs? The ja.wikipedia page is helpful, but it's tough reading for me....