Back when I was a student, I learned about the existence of Shingu’s "Oto Matsuri" (Fire Festival) in Wakayama through an article titled "Voyage of the Stars, Sea of Books," a serialized column by photographer Naoki Ishikawa in the fashion magazine Men’s Non-no.
I recall it being a fantastic photograph of many people dressed in white, holding lit torches and crouching on a mountain slope, all staring in the same direction toward the distance.
It felt like that moment of silence just before the excitement reaches the climax of a festival; it left such a deep impression that I still think about it from time to time. It was one of the triggers that made me consciously interested in festivals.
The Oto Matsuri is held every year on February 6th at Kamikura Shrine in Shingu. It is said to have been going on for over 1,400 years, at least according to recorded history.
It is a heroic fire festival where 2,000 "noboriko" (climbers), who have purified themselves by consuming only white foods for a week (though lately, perhaps just on the day itself?) and donning white costumes, light torches at the summit and charge down to the foot of the mountain all at once.
It is a precious festival that vividly preserves the forms of foundational beliefs, such as Iwakura worship, where a deity is believed to descend to a large rock on the mountain as a yorishiro (vessel for the spirit), and is then invited from the street into homes by being entrusted to the torches.
The image of the festival had been in the back of my mind for a long time. For someone with Naoki Ishikawa’s intense mobility, it might be a trivial distance, but Shingu is truly far away and I never had much of a chance to go see it. However, with the opportunity of renting a new house in Ise to serve as a base, and having made a friend in Shingu, I was finally able to create the chance to witness it this year.
Tracing the roots of Ise Jingu
I rented a new house near Ujiyamada Station in Ise as a front-line base to expand my playground.
I can travel there after work and head out for rides, hikes, or surfing first thing the next morning, or visit the Ise Shrine early in the morning, so please reach out if you would like to use it.
I left at 6:00 AM, and after visiting the Geku (Outer Shrine), I headed up the pleasant road along the Miya River.
The Miya River, which has its source in the Odaigahara area—a region with globally high rainfall—is known as the clearest stream in the country based on water quality tests for Class A rivers.
It is likely because of this beautiful river that Yamato-hime-no-mikoto, who was looking for a place to build a shrine to honor Amaterasu Omikami, set her eyes on this land 2,000 years ago.
First, I aimed for Takihara-no-miya, where Amaterasu Omikami was enshrined before the current Ise Jingu was built.
In the Heian period, as Pure Land Buddhism gained popularity, emperors and aristocrats began pilgrimages to Kumano, and it was from these pilgrimage routes that the concept of "travel" was born in Japan. Traveling along the pilgrimage routes known as the World Heritage Kumano Kodo spread to the common people during the Edo period, and the Iseji route, in particular, which connected Ise and Kumano, appears to have flourished as a major pilgrimage route. I am tracing that route along modern national highways.
Mie Prefecture boasts the third-largest production of Japanese tea in the country. I had never understood where all those tea plantations were, but on the river terraces along the Miya River, tea bushes trimmed into round shapes spread out endlessly.
Ki-Nagashima - Shingu, overlooking the Kumano-nada Sea
Because time was limited this time, I took my bike on the train from Ki-Nagashima to Shingu. I missed the 11:00 train, and the next one was at 14:00. Wakayama really is far.
I had ridden to Shingu as a test run during the New Year, so here are a few photos from that time. The coastal road overlooking the Kumano-nada Sea was very pleasant.
Shingu
As a result of missing the train, my arrival in Shingu was quite late. On the way to Kumano Hayatama Taisha in a hurry, I came across "noboriko" clad in white robes everywhere.
They are all out and about because they need to pay their respects at three locations—Kumano Hayatama Taisha, Asuka Shrine, and Myoshin-ji Temple—before gathering at the festival site, Kamikura Shrine, at 19:00.
When the noboriko pass each other, they greet one another by striking their torches together, creating a rhythmic "clack-clack" sound.
Oto Matsuri
At 19:00, nearly 2,000 noboriko climbed the steep stone steps to gather at the top of Kamikura Shrine. At first just a few, then gradually a large crowd.
I watched the noboriko disappear into the depths of the stone-stacked steps, wondering if 2,000 people could really fit on that narrow summit.
After 20:00, cheers could be heard from above, and soon the leaders racing down came rushing down at incredible speed.
The old, steep stone steps, said to have been donated by Minamoto no Yoritomo, are rickety and difficult to descend even under normal circumstances; if you miss a step, you're bound to fall and get seriously injured. It's truly amazing that they come down flying, skipping about five steps at a time. When I asked about it, they said it feels like "occasionally putting your feet down while falling."
Before long, the rest of the noboriko came down one after another. There were also a few who were drunk and unsteady on their feet.
I received photos of the scenery on the mountain from a friend who participated as a noboriko.
The torches were brightly lit and very beautiful, but apparently there were many skirmishes and fights, and they even hit each other with the torches.
When you pass through the shrine's torii gate and cross a small bridge back to the secular world, women are lined up along the road waiting.
The mountain is off-limits to women. To bring the fire down and take it back to each household, they are needed for roles waiting below.
Once the festival rituals were over, everyone headed home.
After the festival, I headed to Youth Library Engawa, located very close to Kamikura Shrine.
My friends run this place, which was opened as a self-study space for junior high and high school students because the local library’s study environment was poor, and it doubles as a guesthouse for travelers at night.
It’s an interesting place where people of all ages and nationalities gather, playing a role in broadening the worlds of young people. A cafe has also opened next door to support youth entrepreneurship, where you can get some very delicious coffee.
I stayed there until late at night and then started my journey home.
Since I wouldn't make it to work in time if I stayed in Shingu, I moved to Kumano City to camp out until the first train.
The minimum temperature seemed to be 1.2°C, but I had no issues with my bivy and sleeping bag (mont-bell #3).
The sea in front of me was filled with countless boats with bonfires, which was beautiful.
When I first learned about Naoki Ishikawa around the time I was 20, he was in Micronesia learning navigation techniques using the movement of the stars. Even though we were about the same age, I was very curious about what kind of world he was seeing. I've seen him in various media since then, but what makes him amazing is that he doesn't brag about hardships or make adventure an end in itself. He simply uses his intense mobility to "travel" based on his curiosity to see certain landscapes or learn about cultures he's interested in, and then conveys that through photographs and text.
Traveling to see festivals in other places like this is the same principle of action as Ishikawa’s "I want to be surprised." Bicycles and camping are just tools to enjoy that. While following the roads from an era when there was no freedom of travel and only pilgrimages were permitted, I thought about that freedom. #Taisai-Fu (Great Festival Style) continues.
TODAY’S RIDER
Monjya【SimWorks】
| Frame | Rew10Works | Breakaway CX |
| Wheel | CHRIS KING & Velocity | ISO SS Hub & Aileron |
| Tire | SimWorks by Panaracer | VOLUMMY 700×38c |
| Rack | King Cage | Manything Cage |
| Touring Bag | Porcelain Rocket | Custom FrameBag,Custom Charlene |
| Tent | OUTDOOR RESEARCH | Helium Bivy |
| Sleeping bag | mont-bell | UL. Spiral Down Hugger 800 #3 |
| Pad | Yamatomichi | Minimalist Pad |
| Bike Carry Bag | FAIRWEATHER | bike carry bag |
| Other | Tool kit, tripod, battery, cable, wallet, camera |
TEXT,PHOTO by Monjya ／ PHOTO by Takaya Ushiro,Ryoshin Nonaka