Wakayama, Feb 07 (News On Japan) –
The annual Otomo Festival passed off on February sixth at Kamikura Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage web site in Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture. The occasion noticed males clad in white robes, every carrying a flaming torch, racing down the shrine’s steep stone steps in a centuries-old custom.
Gathering earlier than the sacred Gotobiki Rock deep within the mountains, the individuals, carrying solely white clothes with thick straw ropes tied round their waists, ready for the dramatic descent. As quickly because the shrine gates opened, they surged down the stone path, torches in hand, sending sparks flying into the evening.
With shouts of “Uooh!” echoing via the air, roughly 1,450 males charged down the steps, fulfilling a ritual believed to convey family security and prosperity. The pageant stays one among Wakayama’s most visually hanging and deeply rooted traditions, drawing spectators from throughout Japan.
Source: Kyodo