Continuing from last year, we participated in the "Gotou Festival" in Shingu City again this year.
The Goto Matsuri is a fire festival for women with a history of more than 1,400 years, held annually on February 6 at Kamikura Shrine. It is still carefully passed down through the generations as a ritual to pray for a new flame to the god of Kumano and peace for the year ahead. Men "Noboriko," dressed in white, run down 538 steep stone steps built on a precipitous cliff with torches in their hands. As many as 1,500 to 2,000 men gather every year to participate in the festival.
Asuka Shrine
Kumano Hayatama-taisha
Myoshinji Temple
Before the Goto Festival, we go to each shrine and temple to pray to the gods and ancestral spirits of the entire Kumano area to straighten ourselves up.
There is a special energy in this festival that makes the men undeniably hot. What exactly is it?
This time, we were able to position ourselves very close to the starting point, the torii gate. This is the area where people gather who are particular about the order in which they run down the path. Like racehorses before they run, they were filled with excitement and eagerness.
When the sacred fire is divided and the torches are lit, the entire area is illuminated by flames, creating a fantastic scene. The fire seems to directly ignite the fighting spirit that lies dormant inside the men. Surrounded by flames and smoke, they simply wait for the moment to begin.
Soon, the sound of a conch shell signaling the beginning of the descent ceremony rang out, and the moment the door was opened, the ascending children rushed down the stone steps at a tremendous pace. Although I was positioned at the front, I decided that it would be dangerous to get caught in this flow, so I stepped aside to watch. People screaming and running, people tripping and falling, and people getting caught up in it all - it was truly an explosion of energy and heat.
This festival is not a competition for position. Even so, people are driven to go ahead of the others. Perhaps it is this mystical sight itself that drives people's hearts.
Of course, many people slowly and safely descend the stone steps to deliver the sacred fire. The men carry this sacred fire knowing the risks involved. This is because it is believed that the fire they bring back will bring health and happiness to their families.
I put my body on the line for my family and loved ones.
Perhaps that is the man's role and the source of that overwhelming energy.
The Gotō Matsuri evokes and awakens the soul of a man, and gives pride to those who participate in it - it must be a festival with such hidden meanings. This experience naturally made me feel that way.
I was also able to safely bring back the sacred fire that brings happiness to my family and to all the guests who visit this inn.
