Experiencing Shingu City’s Oto Matsuri Fire Festival in My Japan Festival Tour

Every year on February 6th, the entire city of Shingu turns its focus to the Oto Matsuri Fire Festival. Last year my friend, experienced outdoor guide, and font of information invited me to join his group for their preparation and participation in the festival. This is my account of what it actually entails, from the thoughtful preparations to the sooty aftermath.

The Preparation Phase

Let’s start with the end in mind. The final goal of the Oto Matsuri is to receive the sacred fire and take it back to your hearth to use throughout the new year. Before receiving the flame, you must undergo ritual purification, which can include eating only white food for at least a day and up to a week, cleansing in the ocean, and making the journey dressed only in white. Personally I did just the abbreviated version of eating the purifying food for a day. Since participants range from locals who have participated for generations, to out-of-prefecture people who tried it once and keep coming back, your preparations are likewise unique to you.

When I arrived in the afternoon, I found the festival's energy palpable throughout Shingu. It's common to see local shops set up tables on the sidewalk, offering free cups of warm tea or amazake to participants and onlookers. Some businesses are closed, with their spaces converted into staging areas where participants were hanging out and changing clothes.

I found the local guesthouse where my friend’s group gathered. People were milling around, greeting each other after a year’s absence, some drinking already. There was a selection of white food in the entryway: rice balls, pickles, sashimi, dried squid, mochi, tofu … also yogurt, cheese, potato chips, and marshmallows! My costume was waiting: a simple white pair of pants and top that gets secured with a thick rope belt. Getting dressed is a communal process, and it quickly becomes clear that only a few of the older men have mastered the traditional wrapping method. While waiting, we shared sake and food and stood in the sun. There’s an easy camaraderie, but also a clear sense of purpose.

The rope belt and the required sandals are made from rice straw rope. It’s all handmade, and unfortunately a dying art. Kumano Adventures is creating a chance for our guests to learn about and experience it, with the goal of increasing support for the artisans. Everyone is too busy for a workshop on festival day though.

The ropes are mostly the same length, so the number of times you get wrapped depends on your chest size. I’m a skinny guy, so all of the old hands were marveling at getting it around me seven times! If you see someone with just one wrap, maybe give them a little space—people maintaining as much mobility as possible may be those planning to fight. Don’t let it worry you though. Passers-by don’t get looped into random fights, and everyone is very respectful of those around them. I especially liked seeing fathers taking their little boys on the adventure.

Setting Off

Once our wrapping up was all wrapped up, we grabbed our pristine torches and set off toward the shrine. It was still light out, and we had a long, circuitous, and slow route ahead of us. The streets are packed with other participants, and when you walk by them you bang your torches together and shout “Tanomu de!” or ‘Counting on you.’

There are a number of shrines and temples to visit in preparation, and our route passed by those. Lots of crashing of torches, shouting, and reaching into our pockets for small coins to offer as we bowed.

Along the way our group stopped at various friends’ restaurants and bars. The owners came out to their doorways, and our group leaders led us in a (usually shouted) group prayer for the business’s success. One of the bars invited us in for glasses of sake before the prayer.

As we wound closer to the shrine the crowd got denser and denser, and finally we made it to the small bridge at the bottom of the mountain of Kamikura Shrine. For this festival the women wait on the far side of the bridge for the men to descend again

The Main Event: From Climb to Descent

The festival is centered on Kamikura Shrine, a sacred site perched on a cliff above the city. Reaching it requires an ascent up 538 steep, worn stone steps. The climb is crowded, a final, shared effort before the main event. At the top, space is extremely limited. Hundreds of men, all dressed in white, find a place to sit on the uneven ground and wait in the cold, darkening air.

As the space fills up, suddenly the gates swing shut and the waiting intensifies. People with only one rope wrap might have their fights. The rest of us make small talk and try to stay comfortable.

The atmosphere shifts abruptly with the arrival of the huge main torch, carried up from below. It passes through the crowd somewhat violently, visiting the main shrine building at the far end. Then a wave of energy moves through the crowd as everyone scrambles to light their own torches, passing the sacred flame from one to another. The air grows thick with smoke and a nervous anticipation.

When the shrine gates are finally thrown open, a collective roar goes up. A surge of younger, faster participants bursts through first, racing to be the first one down. The rest of us in the main body descend at a much slower pace, dictated by the sheer density of the crowd. The rhythmic chant of "Wasshoi! Wasshoi!" becomes the steady heartbeat for the descent.

From an outsider's perspective, the event looks chaotic and dangerous. From within, it feels surprisingly controlled. The primary concern isn’t getting burned by a stray spark, but simply staying with your group in the moving mass of people. It’s loud, smoky, and fully immersive.

Getting Home

When we reached the bottom, carrying our flaming torches, everyone waiting was offering thanks whether they knew us or not-- “Thanks for your hard work! Good job!” And as we made our way back to our guesthouse I saw solitary men arrive home to their families waiting at their entryway, and I started to understand why people return year after year to repeat the experience.

The Aftermath

The rest of the evening was spent in relaxed celebration, sharing bottles of sake from Ozaki Brewery in Shingu and others that members had brought from their home prefectures. There was talk about doing it again next year.

Concluding Observation

My lasting impression of the Oto Matsuri is not one of danger or a wild spectacle. It's that of a deeply important annual focal point for the community. The spectacle of the fire is the festival's famous image, but the core of the experience is not the visual show or a ceremony just for the gods—it’s really each person’s journey, for their family or whatever is important to them, supported by the community with a shared purpose and of course heritage.

Practical Guide for Participants

Thinking of joining? It’s a serious undertaking that requires planning. Here are the essentials.

• Join a Group. Do not attempt to participate solo. The Oto Matsuri is a community event, and you will need a local connection to help you secure the proper costume, understand the procedures, and navigate the festival itself. Make sure to exchange contact information with a few group members in case you get separated.

• Plan How to Carry Essentials. Backpacks are generally not used, and your hands will be occupied with your torch. Any essentials like a phone or money must be secured in a small, white pouch tucked under your robe and tied down. Travel as light as possible.

• Wear the Right Footwear. You’ll wear straw waraji sandals over your white footwear, so you’ll need to purchase split-toed fabric tabi (like those worn with kimono or hakama). Don’t get ones with a rubber sole as they won’t fit into the sandals. Fabric soles are best.