Oto Matsuri Fire Festival - Wakayama - お燈まつり

The Oto Matsuri or in English the Oto fire festival is held every year on the 6th of February at Kamikura Jinja Shrine in Wakayama prefecture. It has the honor of being among Japan's most famous Matsuri with around 1,500 to 2,000 participants joining every year for over 1,400 years!!! There are different interpretations for this festival but one that is commonly used is set around a purification ritual with prayers made for a good harvest where men dressed in white race down 538 steep steps with flaming tor