Nachi Fire Festival

Every summer, the mountains of Wakayama host the Nachi Fire Festival (Nachi-no-Ogi Matsuri), one of Japan’s most awe-inspiring spiritual events. Held at Kumano Nachi Taisha, near the coastal town of Nachi-Katsuura, the festival transforms the shrine grounds into a spectacle of fire and devotion.

One of Japan’s three major fire festivals, this centuries-old Shinto ritual combines towering flames, sacred traditions and spectacular scenery, revealing the Kii Peninsula’s deep-rooted connection to nature worship.

Nachi Fire Festival

Photo by: PIXTA/ k-hiro

The Nachi Fire Festival marks the annual grand festival (Reitaisai) of Kumano Nachi Taisha, the head shrine that stands before Nachi Falls. In Shinto belief, water is the source of all creation. Here, worshippers revere the 133-meter waterfall as a living embodiment of the divine.

According to legend, Emperor Jimmu was the first to recognize the waterfall’s sacred nature. Later, in 317 CE, a permanent shrine pavilion was built halfway up Mount Nachi. The modern Ogi Matsuri commemorates this founding. During the ritual, the 12 deities of Kumano are temporarily returned to Hiro Shrine. At the base of the falls, prayers are offered for renewal, abundant harvests and the well-being of the local community.

Kumano Nachi Taisha is one of the three sacred shrines that make up the Kumano Sanzan. Visitors from across Japan and around the world come to experience this UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage destination, drawn by its spiritual significance, historic walking trails and iconic waterfall views.

Festival Activities

Photo by: PIXTA/ k-hiro

The festival begins with the Nachi Dengaku dance, a sacred performance dating back to 1403. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, the rhythmic dance honors local deities before the main purification ritual. Only those who practice the Dengaku tradition can handle the sacred objects used throughout the ceremony.

The day’s most dramatic spectacle features twelve colossal flaming pine torches (O-taimatsu). Crafted from cypress, each weighs up to 50 kilograms. The torches, carried by men in white robes, descend the shrine’s ancient stone steps. Their intense heat and shower of embers purify the route for the Ogi Mikoshi, both physically and spiritually.

The portable shrines have bronze mirrors, cedar ornaments and folding fans with crimson sun discs. Their distinctive vertical design evokes the cascading waters of Nachi Falls. Against the backdrop of roaring flames, the procession is one of Japan’s most exhilarating expressions of Shinto tradition.