The 12 deities of Kumano are transferred to a sacred portable shrine, and a procession is held from the main shrine to the Nachi Falls. Known for the impressive power of the leading torches, it is one of Japan’s three major fire festivals.

The Nachi Fire Festival (Nachi no Hi Matsuri) is held annually on July 14th as the grand festival (Reitaisai) of Kumano Nachi Taisha. It is a sacred ritual in which the twelve deities enshrined at Kumano Nachi Taisha return to their original place of worship, the auxiliary shrine Hiro Shrine (located at Nachi Falls), where the faith is said to have originated.

The spirits of the deities are transferred to twelve portable shrines called ogi mikoshi, each about six meters tall and shaped like a fan to represent the sun. These mikoshi are then carried in a procession from the main shrine to Nachi Falls. Along the approach to the falls, men dressed in white robes carry twelve massive torches, each weighing around 50 kilograms, purifying the path with fire as they welcome the mikoshi. This dramatic spectacle gives the festival its popular name, the "Nachi Fire Festival.”

The blazing torches illuminate the stone steps, creating a mystical and sacred atmosphere. As one of the central events of Kumano faith—a belief system that has drawn pilgrims to this sacred site for centuries—the ōgi matsuri strongly reflects elements of nature worship, including reverence for the sun, water, and fire.

"Nachi no Ogi Matsuri” is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government.