A traditional fire-and-water festival, with mikoshi shaped like fans and large torches heading toward Nachi Falls
Fan Festival
The 2026 edition of Fan Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/14Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on July 14 / Once a year
- Location
- Kumano Nachi Taisha and Hirō Shrine
- Area
- Wakayama Prefecture・Nachikatsuura Town(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 30 min–4 h · bullet train + connecting train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Fan Festival, passed down as the grand annual festival of Kumano Nachi Taisha, is a fire-and-water ritual in which shaped like fans and large torches head toward Nachi Falls.
About Fan Festival
The Fan Festival is the grand annual festival of Kumano Nachi Taisha and is also commonly known as the “Nachi Fire Festival.”
This is a ritual in which 12 mikoshi shaped like fans, representing Nachi Falls, are carried in procession from Kumano Nachi Taisha to Hirō Shrine.
This represents the deities returning to the falls, their home, and the mikoshi shaped like fans are purified by the flames of large torches.
The fire-and-water rites embody prayers for the renewal of life and a bountiful harvest.
Source: 那智の扇祭り｜祭り・イベント｜和歌山県公式観光サイト
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the sacred fire ritual held on the stone steps of the approach to Hirō Shrine.
Twelve large torches are lit, and parishioners dressed in white carry them to welcome the mikoshi shaped like fans.
Torches blazing with flames move in circles as the mikoshi shaped like fans are purified amid the sound of shouts.
Yamato Mai and Nachi are also performed within the , allowing visitors to see the sacred fire ritual and traditional performing arts one after another.
Source: 那智の扇祭り | 熊野那智大社 例大祭 | 和歌山県那智勝浦町那智山 – KVA / 熊野の夏祭り｜特集｜和歌山県公式観光サイト
A traditional fire-and-water festival, with mikoshi shaped like fans and large torches heading toward Nachi Falls
What to expect
The festival begins at the main shrine with offerings of sacred food, followed by performances of Yamato Mai and miko dances, Nachi Dengaku, and the rice-planting ceremony.
Afterward, the divine spirits are transferred to 12 mikoshi shaped like fans, which are carried in procession to Hirō Shrine.
After the sacred fire ritual, the rice reaping ceremony and Nabaku Mai are held, and the mikoshi shaped like fans return to Kumano Nachi Taisha.
The series of annual festival rites concludes with the Returning Procession Festival, which includes a rite for the deities’ ascent.
How to take part
General visitors can attend as worshippers and watch the sacred rites and dedicatory dances.
By contrast, local parishioners who carry the Ōgi Mikoshi and handle the giant torches, along with the performers of the dances and dengaku, serve as members of the local community.
It has not been stated whether general visitors can take on roles in the sacred rites, so it is appropriate to focus on worship and viewing rather than joining as participants.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kumano Nachi Taisha and Hirō Shrine (1 Nachisan, Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture)
- Train and bus
From Kii-Katsuura Station on the JR Kisei Main Line, take the Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus bound for Nachisan for about 30 minutes and get off at the Nachisan bus stop.
Kumano Nachi Taisha and Seiganto-ji Temple on Nachi Mountain are about a 10-minute walk away; another notice gives the walking time as about 15 minutes.
- By car
About 20 minutes from Nachikatsuura Town.
From the Osaka area, you can use National Route 168 and National Route 42, or the Hanwa Expressway and Kisei Expressway, among other routes.
- Parking
There are spaces for 30 cars below the main shrine office of Kumano Nachi Taisha, and an 800-yen fee is required to use the shrine’s disaster-prevention road.
There are paid parking lots, mostly operated by souvenir shops, in front of Hirō Shrine.
Source: アクセス | 熊野那智大社 飛瀧神社 那智御瀧
Address 1 Nachisan, Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 Fan Festival was listed for July 14, as in a typical year.
On the main festival day, the schedule proceeds from morning performances and the rice-planting ceremony to the afternoon procession of mikoshi shaped like fans, sacred fire ritual, rice reaping ceremony, Nabaku Mai, and Returning Procession Festival.
The eve-of-festival ceremony is held on July 13, with performances of Yamato Mai, miko dances, and Nachi Dengaku also offered that evening.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Wakayama Prefecture / Nachikatsuura Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The sacred fire ritual takes place on the stone steps of the approach to Hirō Shrine. Large torches and flying sparks move during the ritual, so please watch from a safe distance.
The procession travels from Kumano Nachi Taisha to Hirō Shrine and takes place at several locations within the shrine grounds and along the approach.
If traveling by car, please note that parking is limited and a disaster-prevention road fee is required at the shrine parking lot.
Nearby attractions
Places around the festival venue include Kumano Nachi Taisha, Seiganto-ji Temple on Nachi Mountain, Nachi Falls, the Kumano Kodo, Daimonzaka, and Myōhōzan Amida-ji Temple.
Hirō Shrine is an auxiliary shrine of Kumano Nachi Taisha, with Nachi Falls as its sacred object. It is also the destination of the procession of mikoshi shaped like fans.
Along with the festival, visitors can experience the surrounding culture connected with the beliefs of Nachi Mountain, the waterfall, and the ancient pilgrimage routes.
熊野那智大社
日本の和歌山県東牟婁郡那智勝浦町にある神社
那智滝
和歌山県東牟婁郡那智勝浦町にある滝
飛瀧神社
和歌山県那智勝浦町にある神社
Origins and History of Fan Festival
The origins of the Fan Festival are linked to the story of worshipping Nachi Falls as a deity and welcoming the deities of Kumano to Nachi Mountain.
According to information from Kumano Nachi Taisha, this ritual began when a shrine building was constructed halfway up Nachi Mountain in the fifth year of Emperor Nintoku’s reign, and the deities were returned to their present location.
The mikoshi shaped like fans and the fire-and-water rites are said to embody prayers for the renewal of divine spirits and a bountiful harvest.
Source: 年間行事 | 熊野那智大社 飛瀧神社 那智御瀧 / 扇祭 - Wikipedia
Official information
Kumano Nachi Taisha’s annual events guide lists the grand annual festival on July 14 as the “Nachi Fan Festival.”
Information on the venue, transportation, and parking is available on Kumano Nachi Taisha’s official access page.
The contact information lists Kumano Nachi Taisha’s phone number: 0735-52-2131.
Fan Festival at a Glance
The Fan Festival is a grand annual festival in which 12 mikoshi shaped like fans are carried in procession from Kumano Nachi Taisha to Hirō Shrine and purified by the flames of large torches.
The morning program includes Yamato Mai, Nachi Dengaku, and the rice-planting ceremony; in the afternoon, the sacred fire ritual, Nabaku Mai, and Returning Procession Festival follow.
The 2026 event was listed for July 14, with performances also announced for the eve-of-festival celebration the previous day.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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