At first, I thought I drew the short stick when I volunteered to reserve a good spot for the fire ceremony. Waiting for hours – even somewhere as idyllic and beautiful as Nachi – can get tedious. As soon as the fire ceremony was finished, however, I knew I was – in fact – the lucky one. Getting a front-row seat to the fire ceremony was absolutely incredible, and I’d have gladly waited even longer for the honor and privilege to see it up close. It was beautiful, exhilarating, and fantastic fun all at once.

Don’t be mistaken, though. While I wouldn’t call the ceremony dangerous, it’s certainly not for the careless or clumsy. There are thin rope lines that indicate where the fire will be thrown and a few basic announcements and warnings in Japanese and that’s it. Their perspective on safety is one of personal responsibility – they will not hold your hand or berate uncooperative tourists – so you must be careful and use common sense.

Keep in mind these torches are big, heavy, and hot. The noble torchbearers do their best to control the flame, but accidents can happen and you will be seriously injured if you aren’t careful. Although I stayed behind the safety ropes at all times and followed the lead of those around me, my Japanese brethren and I still ended up with scorch marks and holes in our shirts.

Matthew Morse - Eventful Globe Founder

Our approach to covering Nachi Fire Festival for you was to divide and conquer. Matt wanted to ensure he got the best footage of the photogenic torch procession while I wanted to see as much as possible.

While Matt camped with his tripod beside the stairs where he would get so close to the torches that his shirt and bag got singed, I climbed to the temple on the hill to watch the rituals, some of which would be repeated after the Torch ceremony so Matt would see them too. When I went back to meet Matt, we agreed that I should stand near the Waterfall where the shrine is. I got to see the torches being lit before they were brought up to the stairs where Matt was but I didn’t get as dangerously close to the fire. I also got to see the offerings being presented at the shrine. At the end, we were both somehow two of the the lucky few who received fans from the participants.

In hindsight, if I could choose between the 2 experiences I and Matt had at Nachi, I would have chosen Matt’s. This is not to say that I did not enjoy seeing more action, but that Matt’s encounter with the fire was to die for and Eventful Globe is so glad to be able to share that perspective with you in our video above.

Geraldine Wong - Eventful Globe Founder