Hundreds of Samurai Riders Ride High Fukushima Pref. Festival; Soma Nomaoi Festival Attracts 35,000 Spectators on Sunday
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Mounted Samurais with banners on their backs gallop the circuit in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Sunday.
The Soma Nomaoi festival's main event was held on Sunday in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, where about 35,000 spectators enjoyed a scene that seemed straight from a heroic picture scroll of the Warring States period.
Nomaoi is a traditional festival in the Fukushima's Soma region that lasts for three days. On Sunday, the second day, the Kacchu Keiba horse racing was held on a 1.2-kilometer circuit course. Mounted samurai clad in armor galloped through the circuit with their helmets off, their banners streaming behind them with mud splashed on their faces.
Starting this year, the requirement for women to be 'under 20 years old and unmarried' was removed. Miwa Hosokawa, a 39-year-old woman from Minamisoma, participated in the event for the first time in 20 years. She was the winner in the Shinki Soudatsusen battle for the sacred flag, where hundreds of mounted samurai fight to capture sacred flags that are shot into the air. 'I'm happy to be able to feel like a human and a horse in one,' said Hosokawa. 'I am overjoyed to be able to participate in Nomaoi again.'
The last day on Monday features Nomakake, in which the participants catch bare horses with only their hands, will be held to complete the three-day event.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
26-05-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Hundreds of Samurai Riders Ride High Fukushima Pref. Festival; Soma Nomaoi Festival Attracts 35,000 Spectators on Sunday
The Yomiuri Shimbun Mounted Samurais with banners on their backs gallop the circuit in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Sunday. The Soma Nomaoi festival's main event was held on Sunday in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, where about 35,000 spectators enjoyed a scene that seemed straight from a heroic picture scroll of the Warring States period. Nomaoi is a traditional festival in the Fukushima's Soma region that lasts for three days. On Sunday, the second day, the Kacchu Keiba horse racing was held on a 1.2-kilometer circuit course. Mounted samurai clad in armor galloped through the circuit with their helmets off, their banners streaming behind them with mud splashed on their faces. Starting this year, the requirement for women to be 'under 20 years old and unmarried' was removed. Miwa Hosokawa, a 39-year-old woman from Minamisoma, participated in the event for the first time in 20 years. She was the winner in the Shinki Soudatsusen battle for the sacred flag, where hundreds of mounted samurai fight to capture sacred flags that are shot into the air. 'I'm happy to be able to feel like a human and a horse in one,' said Hosokawa. 'I am overjoyed to be able to participate in Nomaoi again.' The last day on Monday features Nomakake, in which the participants catch bare horses with only their hands, will be held to complete the three-day event.
Asahi Shimbun
26-05-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
1,000-year-old horse riding festival throws out gender rules
Miwa Hosokawa, center, holds the sacred flag in her mouth after capturing it during a May 25 event that took place at this year's Soma-Nomaoi in Fukushima Prefecture. (Wataru Sekita) MINAMI-SOMA, Fukushima Prefecture—Eight women were among a multitude of entrants who rode in the 'Soma-Nomaoi' (Soma wild horse chase) festival, an annual three-day event that dates back around 1,000 years. This year's large turnout was the result of the festival eliminating rule restrictions exclusive to female participants for the first time ever. Previously, only unmarried women under 20 were allowed in the saddle. Miwa Hosokawa, 39, was able to join for the first time since she was 19 and wore a traditional "jinbaori" samurai surcoat at the May 24 opening ceremony. The surcoat had been sewn by her mother, Tamiko, who passed away two years ago. Hosokawa also battled other riders in a May 25 event where each fought to capture a sacred flag as it fell back toward earth after being shot into the sky with fireworks. The crowd of about 35,000 fans roared their approval when she caught the flag and Hosokawa broke down in tears. 'I feel my mother was looking down on me,' she said. 'I hope the (relaxed conditions) will allow more women to take part in order to preserve this traditional event.' After the decision was made in February to do away with the age restriction for women, 31-year-old Ayano Uehara, who works for the Soma city government, began taking horse riding lessons so she could join the Soma-Nomaoi. She had been helping support the festival as a city government employee until last year. Seeing a man who was a former classmate taking part sparked Uehara's interest in participating. For her first festival, Uehara chose to ride in the parade through city streets with riders dressed in samurai attire rather than enter one of the competitions. 'Based on this experience, I want to think about what is needed to hand down the traditional event,' she said. Uehara added that in future years she wants to participate in the event to capture the sacred flag and another where entrants race around a track dressed in samurai armor. Hosokawa, meanwhile, had decided to solely concentrate on the flag capturing event because she felt the race was too physically demanding. The rule change also means more potential for Hosokawa's life outside the festival. While she has a common-law husband, she has not formally married because of the now-defunct condition that only single women can sign up. 'With the single woman condition also eliminated, I want to think about marriage after things settle down a bit,' she said.
04-05-2025
Piracy on the Rails: All Aboard the 'One Piece' Shinkansen!
On April 12, JR West launched the ' One Piece Shinkansen,' a collaboration with the popular manga and anime series, running on the San'yō Shinkansen line between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. Passengers can board the train alongside the aspiring Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Crew, setting off on a journey filled with the thrill of adventure. The first train in the series is the 'Setouchi Blue,' inspired by the beautiful sea views visible from the San'yō Shinkansen. From the Heian (794–1185) through the Warring States (1467–1568) periods, many pirates, led by the Murakami Suigun (naval pirates), were active on the Seto Inland Sea. This route along the coastline has been dubbed the Grand Rail, imitating the Grand Line from One Piece , encouraging travelers to collect treasures—attractions and specialties found at each stop. The Setouchi Blue, photographed at a rolling stock depot in Okayama. (© Kusano Seiichirō) The front car features Luffy on one side, with an image of his powerful 'Gear 5' white form on the other. (© Kusano Seiichirō) Luffy and Roronoa Zoro also appear above the windows. (© Kusano Seiichirō) The Red Force , the ship of Shanks and the Red-Haired Pirates, joins the adventure. (© Kusano Seiichirō) Packed with Popular Characters Inside the train, vibrant designs featuring fan favorites can be found on headrest covers, compartment doors, and more. Some restrooms even feature mirrors decorated with the design of a wanted poster, letting passengers imagine themselves as an infamous pirate with a massive bounty. Adding to the experience, the onboard chime when departing or arriving at stations uses the first opening theme song of the televised anime, 'We Are!' At select stations, in-train announcements are made by the voice actors of Luffy and Tony Tony Chopper, so be sure not to miss them. Original headrest covers featuring the cast of characters. (© Kusano Seiichirō) Compartment doors that make you want to explore between your seat and the deck. (© Kusano Seiichirō) Wanted posters issued by the Navy are scattered throughout the train. (© Kusano Seiichirō) A restroom sink where you can feel like Shanks with a massive bounty, perfect for a photo op. (© Kusano Seiichirō) Luffy and Zoro see you off at the boarding doors. (© Kusano Seiichirō) The One Piece Shinkansen mainly operates between Shin-Osaka and Hakata as part of the Kodama service. On May 28, the 'Tony Tony Chopper Train' will be introduced, followed by the 'Monkey D. Luffy Train' on July 22. Three trains in total will be run at random. Until May 7, operations are limited to certain days; from May 17 through the end of June, the trains will run daily. Since schedules and stops vary by day, and the schedule from July onward remains undecided, make sure to check the official website's Train Guide before planning your adventure with Luffy and his crew. The Car 2 door featuring Nico Robin's name. (© Kusano Seiichirō) Poster showing the full train design. (© Kusano Seiichirō) The One Piece Shinkansen offers the fun of finding your favorite characters, like Buggy (top left) and Nefertari Vivi (top right). (© Kusano Seiichirō) For more information on Japan's Shinkansen network, see our route map. (Originally published in Japanese. Reporting and text by . Banner photo: The Setouchi Blue train and Luffy depicted on the front car. © Kusano Seiichirō.)
