Oto Matsuri: Torch Bearers Race Down Kamikura Steps

On the night of February 6 every year, Kamikura Shrine in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, holds its annual rite, the Oto Matsuri. Around 2,000 men known as noborico, dressed in white and bound with rough straw rope, receive sacred fire on the summit of Mount Kamikura and then run down 538 steep stone steps carrying lit torches. The band of flame pouring down the dark hillside is regarded locally as the moment that closes winter in Kumano. In 2016 it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, together with the Hayatama Festival, under the name Shingu no Hayatamasai and Oto Matsuri.

A River of Fire Down the Mountain

As the light fades, groups in white converge on Mount Kamikura from across town. The noborico wear a white underrobe with a white headband or hood, hand and leg coverings, and a thick straw rope wound from the waist across the stomach. Torch in hand, they climb the steps and pack in behind the mountain gate to wait.

When the sacred flame is kindled and passed from torch to torch, the summit turns into a sea of fire. At the signal the gate opens and men and flame surge onto the steps together. Seen from below, a thin bright ribbon slides down the mountain, throwing sparks as it goes, followed by the shouts of those reaching the bottom and the smell of burning wood in cold night air. The whole descent is over within minutes.

A Ceremony That Fills the Whole Day

The Oto Matsuri is not only those few minutes. Offerings are prepared in the morning, and in the late afternoon the kaishaku, the officials who conduct and guard the rite, are purified and set out for Kumano Hayatama Taisha. Priests and kaishaku then move to Kamikura Shrine, and after seven in the evening the sacred fire is kindled. The noborico set out at around eight. Later the priests descend and return by way of Asuka Shrine to Kumano Hayatama Taisha. A celebratory rite follows on February 7, with a rice-cake scattering in the afternoon.

Kamikura Shrine is an ancient site said to be where the Kumano deities first descended to earth. Above the 538 steps stands Gotobiki Rock, the object of worship and one of the finest viewpoints in Shingu. Knowing that the fire streams out from beneath that rock changes how the spectacle reads.

Tips for Visiting

Only men take part, and from the afternoon of the festival day the site is closed to women. Access up the mountain is also restricted to those with permission, so general visitors watch from the streets at the foot of the steps, which is in any case the best vantage point for seeing the flames come down.

February nights in Kumano are cold and the waiting is long, so bring a heavy coat, gloves and heat packs. The area near the steps becomes extremely crowded, and families with small children will be safer watching from a street further back. Because embers can carry, cotton outerwear beats synthetics, and there is rarely room for a tripod.

Getting There

Kamikura Shrine is a 15 to 20 minute walk from Shingu Station on the JR Kisei Main Line. On the day, parking is prohibited on roads around the shrine and some sections are closed to vehicles from six until ten in the evening. Visitor car parks close at three in the afternoon, so drivers use the temporary riverbed car park near Kumano Hayatama Taisha.

Practical Information

• Dates: The night of February 6, every year, with a celebratory rite and rice-cake scattering on February 7
• Venue: Kamikura Shrine, 1-13-8 Kamikura, Shingu, Wakayama
• Inquiries: Kumano Hayatama Taisha, Tel 0735-22-2533; Shingu City Commerce and Tourism Division, Tel 0735-23-3357
• Access: 15 to 20 minutes on foot from JR Shingu Station
• Parking: Visitor car parks close at 15:00; use the temporary riverbed car park near Kumano Hayatama Taisha
• Traffic control: No parking on roads near the shrine, and vehicle restrictions in some sections from 18:00 to 22:00
• Admission: Free to watch
• Note: Men only; the site is closed to women from the afternoon of the festival day, and entry to the mountain is restricted
• Official website: https://kumanohayatama.jp/

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

(Sources: Kumano Hayatama Taisha official website, Shingu City official website, Shingu Tourist Association official website, Wakayama Prefecture official tourism website, Cultural Heritage Online of the Agency for Cultural Affairs)