The fiery burden of devotion

I've mentioned before that Japan's summer heat and humidity are a big problem for me. So committing to a five-hour vigil in one spot, waiting for a festival to begin, seemed like masochistic madness. But that's exactly what Nachi no Ogi Matsuri demanded of me.

You've probably seen Nachi Waterfall without knowing its name. It's one of those quintessential Japan images: a pagoda framed against a misty forest waterfall, that appears on every tourism poster and Instagram feed. The kind of postcard-perfect shot that makes you think you know a place before you've ever set foot there.

But Nachi holds secrets far deeper than its photogenic surface. Every July, this sacred site transforms into something extraordinary. Here stands Kumano Nachi Taisha, a Shinto shrine unlike any other. Most shrines keep their deities hidden, revealing them only on special occasions. At Nachi, the deity remains perpetually visible to all, it is the waterfall itself. And it's here that devotees carry massive 50-kilogram blazing torches up and down the stone stairs leading to the shrine.

The spectacle of people wielding these enormous flaming torches creates undeniable photographic drama. But capturing it properly meant claiming a strategic vantage point early and enduring that dreaded five-hour wait. Fortunately, the shrine nestles deep in the Kii Mountains of Wakayama prefecture, where forest shade and mountain breezes provided merciful relief from the oppressive heat.

When the moment finally arrived, the anticipation proved justified. Participants in vibrant costumes began descending the stairs, followed by white-robed men carrying smaller torches, that would ignite the massive ones. Then came the main event: the great torches ascending the stairs.

The heat radiating from these sacred flames was so intense that helpers stood nearby, taking water into their mouths and spraying it over the torch bearers. I doubted this offered much relief, but the gesture spoke to the ritual's brutal demands.

At the top of the stairs, the torches' crushing weight forced the bearers to slam them against the stone slabs bordering the steps before hoisting them up again for the descent. The exhaustion etched on their faces revealed the immense physical toll. These torches, meticulously crafted from sacred cypress, purify the stone-paved path with their intense flames as they make their way toward the sacred waterfall.

Only after this purification could the sacred O-Mikoshi begin their journey down. These portable shrines, adorned with golden fans, bronze mirrors, and cedar plates, represent the majestic Nachi-no-Otaki waterfall itself. When they finally reach the waterfall's base, they rest while purification rituals and ceremonial dances unfold.

Climbing back up those stairs afterward, my legs heavy and my spirit full, I realized the five-hour wait I'd dreaded had become the price of witnessing something unrepeatable. Rituals like this don't wait for convenient scheduling. They demand your full presence or nothing at all.