Wakayama –
Two shrine maidens carried out a sublime dance holding branches of crimson maple leaves in entrance of Nachi Falls on the World Heritage-listed Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, on November 14, as a part of an annual autumn competition expressing gratitude for the blessings of nature.
The Momiji Matsuri, or Autumn Leaves Festival, passed off in opposition to the backdrop of the sacred Nachi Falls, which is revered because the shrine’s divine embodiment. The two shrine maidens gracefully carried out the standard ceremonial dance whereas holding maple branches, marking the autumn season with a solemn ritual.
Large crowds of worshippers and guests, together with overseas vacationers, gathered to look at the sacred ceremony, which celebrated the altering seasons and the pure magnificence surrounding certainly one of Japan’s most revered World Heritage websites.
Source: Kyodo