Nachi Fire Festival: Fan Mikoshi and Giant Torches

Every year on July 14, Kumano Nachi Taisha in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, holds its grand annual rite, formally called Ogi Eshiki Hoe. Twelve tall fan-shaped mikoshi leave the main shrine and travel down to the Nachi Falls, while twelve enormous burning torches purify the route ahead of them. The sight of sparks pouring over the stone steps has earned the event its other name, Nachi no Hi Matsuri, the Nachi Fire Festival. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan on March 2, 2015.

Twelve Fan Mikoshi Head for the Falls

At one in the afternoon the fan mikoshi set out from the main sanctuary. Each stands about 6 meters tall and roughly 1 meter wide, a long narrow board dressed with white bronze mirrors, sunburst ornaments, butterfly whiskers and cypress-fan blossoms that glow against the dark green of the cedar grove.

The number twelve represents the twelve Kumano deities, and the tall slender shape is said to imitate the form of the Nachi Falls itself. When bearers in white robes lift the frames, something the height of a two-storey building travels through the forest carried only by human shoulders.

The Great Torches

At two in the afternoon comes the climax, the Ohi Gyoji, or fire rite. Twelve great torches are lit and carried up the stone steps to meet the descending mikoshi. The first torch is the heaviest at roughly 50 kilograms, and even the twelfth weighs around 25 kilograms.

Sparks rain overhead, smoke fills the narrow approach, and the shouts of the bearers mix with the roar of cicadas. Once the path has been purified, the fan mikoshi continue to Hiro Jinja at the foot of the waterfall, where fire and falling water meet in the same frame.

A Full Day of Ritual

The fire is only part of the day. Proceedings begin at ten in the morning with the main sanctuary rite, followed at eleven by the Yamato Mai dance, at eleven thirty by Nachi Dengaku, which is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and at twelve fifteen by a rice-planting rite. After the fire rite come further ceremonies at the waterfall, a harvest rite and the Nabaku Mai dance, closing at three thirty when the fan mikoshi return to the main shrine.

The shrine relates that its buildings were established on Mount Nachi in the fifth year of Emperor Nintoku, given as 317, and describes the festival as a commemoration of that enshrinement, a rite to rouse the spirit of the deity and pray for the growth of all living things.

Tips for Visiting

The fire rite is concentrated into a short window around two in the afternoon, so aim to be inside the precinct by noon. The stone approach is narrow and crowds are heavy. If you plan to stand close to the torches, cotton clothing is safer than synthetics because embers do carry. Bring a hat, water and a towel, and wear shoes you can climb steps in.

The morning ceremonies are far calmer, so visitors with small children or anyone unsure on stairs may prefer to arrive early for the dances and watch the fire rite from further back.

Getting There

The nearest station is Kii-Katsuura on the JR Kisei Main Line, from which Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus reaches the Nachisan stop in about 30 minutes. On festival day, buses pick up and drop off only at the Nachisan stop, and a free shuttle bus is operated. The shrine car park below the shrine office holds only 30 vehicles and requires a toll of 800 yen for the access road; in an average year it fills by around ten thirty in the morning, after which visitors are directed to temporary car parks.

Practical Information

• Dates: July 14, every year
• Venue: Kumano Nachi Taisha and Hiro Jinja, 1 Nachisan, Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama 649-5301
• Inquiries: Kumano Nachi Taisha, Tel 0735-55-0321
• Access: About 30 minutes by Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus from JR Kii-Katsuura Station to the Nachisan stop
• Parking: 30 spaces below the shrine office, with an 800 yen toll for the access road; usually full by around 10:30
• Admission: Free to watch
• Official website: https://kumanonachitaisha.or.jp/

* Dates, details and prices are subject to change. Please check the official website before you go.

(Sources: Kumano Nachi Taisha official website, Kumano Sanzan Council official website, Wakayama Prefecture official tourism website, Cultural Heritage Online of the Agency for Cultural Affairs)