Sōma Nomaoi

Overview

The Soma Nomaoi is a spirited festival of horses and, at the same time, a sacred rite, held in the Soma region of Fukushima Prefecture, centered on the cities of Soma and Minamisoma. Several hundred mounted warriors, clad in armor and bearing the heirloom battle flags of their ancestors, gallop across the field in a scene that seems to bring a warring-states era picture scroll to life, and it is known throughout Japan as a representative summer festival of the Tohoku region. It has been handed down by the people of the Soma region as the joint rite of three shrines devoted to the Myoken faith.

The essence of this festival lies in its being, at once, a splendid historical pageant and a solemn rite bearing a thousand years of history. The mounted warriors raise flags marked with their family crests and take part in the rite together with their horses. Far from a mere tourist event, it is a festival sustained by the union of samurai tradition and the pride of the local community, and in 1952 it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.

History & Origins

The origins of the Soma Nomaoi are said to reach back to the mid-Heian period. Taira no Masakado, held to be a distant ancestor of the Soma clan, is said to have released wild horses within his domain in Shimosa Province (present-day northern Chiba and western Ibaraki), treated them as enemy soldiers, and pursued and captured them as a form of military training. This drill, conducted with living horses as if in actual battle, was a means of cultivating the mobility and unity of the warrior band, and it became the prototype of the festival. The claim of a history exceeding a thousand years lends this festival a weight unlike any other.

Later, when the Soma clan moved to the Soma region of the Oshu district in the Kamakura period and came to govern that land, the nomaoi was carried on there as well. Successive generations of the Soma clan valued the event both as military training and as a rite praying for lasting fortune in war, rooting it deeply in the region. As an event in which the head of the warrior house led his retainers, it became established through the domain era as an annual observance of the Soma region and was refined as a precious tradition conveying the spirit of the samurai.

The Soma Nomaoi is also a rite bound up with the Myoken faith of the Soma region. The festival is held as the joint rite of the three shrines known as the Soma San-Myoken: Ota Shrine, Nakamura Shrine, and Odaka Shrine, with mounted warriors from the districts that revere each shrine as their guardian deity taking part. Myoken is a deification of the pole star and the Big Dipper, worshipped as a deity governing martial fortune and direction, and was deeply revered by warriors. That horse, martial valor, and faith are inseparably joined here gives this rite its religious depth.

In the modern era, the Soma Nomaoi shed its character as military training and has been passed down as a regional tradition and tourism asset. In the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear disaster of 2011, the Soma region where the festival is held suffered enormous damage, and many of its bearers lost horses and were forced to evacuate. Even so, the festival continued in the following years, if on a reduced scale, and encouraged people as a symbol of recovery. Long held in late July each year, from 2026 the timing of the festival was formally changed to late May, as the burden of the summer heat on horses, riders, and spectators (with frequent cases of heatstroke) had become severe.

Highlights

The departure of the commander and hundreds of mounted warriors The first day of the Soma Nomaoi is graced by the departure of the mounted warriors, led by the supreme commander. Clad in armor and bearing the battle flags handed down from their ancestors, the warriors advance in formation in a sight that is the very image of a warring-states army. The flags each rider raises differ from house to house, and their variety and solemnity make one feel that the samurai tradition is still alive.

The stately procession of the Ogyoretsu On the day of the main festival, the mounted warriors from the supreme commander on down parade through the town in armor in the Ogyoretsu, the grand procession. As conch trumpets and war drums resound, several hundred riders advance in formation with dignity, filling the scene with the power of a historical picture scroll. Spectators lining the route see in each passing rider the figure of a samurai of old.

The gallop of the armored horse race A highlight of the festival's middle stage is the Kacchu Keiba, the armored horse race. Mounted warriors, weighed down by heavy armor and with their flags streaming, gallop all at once across the field of Hibarigahara. The sight of horses and warriors competing amid clouds of dust is overwhelming, and great honor is bestowed on the victorious rider. Racing on horseback in full battle gear, this contest conveys to this day that the nomaoi arose from military training.

The frenzy of the sacred flag competition The best-known highlight of the Soma Nomaoi is the Shinki Sodatsusen, the sacred flag competition. When sacred flags are launched high into the sky together with fireworks and drift down on the wind, several hundred armored warriors rush toward them, kicking up clouds of dust. The warrior who seizes a sacred flag raises it aloft and gallops up the height where the headquarters stands, reporting the honor before the deity. The scene woven by fireworks, sacred flags, and mounted warriors sweeps spectators into a whirlpool of excitement.

The rite of the Nomagake Held on the final day of the festival is the Nomagake. In this rite, bare horses are driven and captured by hand and offered to the shrine, and it is regarded as preserving the oldest form of the nomaoi. The sight of the okobito, clad in white, confronting the wild horses with their bare hands distills the origin of the nomaoi, rooted in the legend of Taira no Masakado, and is wrapped in an atmosphere at once rough and sacred.

The solemnity of a rite of the three Myoken shrines Behind the splendid contests, the Soma Nomaoi is conducted, above all, as a rite of the three Myoken shrines of Ota, Nakamura, and Odaka. Rites and prayers at each shrine and the dedication of the sacred flags carry the solemnity of a religious observance throughout. The coexistence of entertaining spectacle and the solemnity of faith is the very feature that sets the Soma Nomaoi apart from a mere historical pageant.

Access & Information

• Location: The Soma region of Fukushima Prefecture, centered on the cities of Soma and Minamisoma (the main venue for the armored horse race and sacred flag competition is the Hibarigahara festival grounds in Minamisoma)
• Related shrines: A joint rite of the Soma San-Myoken (Ota Shrine, Nakamura Shrine, and Odaka Shrine)
• Timing: Long held over three days in late July, but changed from 2026 to late May as a measure against the summer heat (in 2026 held mainly on May 23 to 25).
• Main events: The departure, the grand procession, the armored horse race, the sacred flag competition, and the Nomagake
• Access: The nearest access includes Haranomachi Station on the JR Joban Line. Traffic restrictions and crowding are expected around the venue, so public transport is recommended.
• Note: Exact dates, venues, and seating details are announced each year by the organizers, so those wishing to attend are advised to confirm in advance.

Around the Area

The Soma region, the stage of the Soma Nomaoi, lies in the northern part of the Pacific coast (the Hamadori area) of Fukushima Prefecture. Visiting the Ota, Nakamura, and Odaka shrines connected with the festival allows one to touch the history of the Myoken faith and the Soma clan, and to feel more deeply the origins of the land behind the festival. In particular, the ruins of Nakamura Castle, the seat of the Soma clan (now Baryo Park), are known as a spot for cherry blossoms and preserve the atmosphere of the old castle town.

Along the coast of the Hamadori area lie scenic spots and fishing ports overlooking the Pacific, where fresh seafood can be enjoyed. This region suffered great damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, but as recovery has progressed one can also visit facilities that convey the memory of the disaster and rebuilt townscapes. Touring these together with the path the Soma Nomaoi has walked as a symbol of recovery lets one feel the strength of this land.

Venturing a little farther from the Soma region, hot spring resorts and scenic spots rich in nature extend throughout the Hamadori area of Fukushima. After experiencing the heat of the spirited festival, one can soothe the fatigue of travel in a quiet hot spring and extend the journey to enjoy the food and nature of Tohoku. The pleasure of visiting this region lies in its many layers of appeal: history, faith, recovery, and nature.

Related Information

• Timing: Formerly late July; changed from 2026 to late May
• Location: The Soma region of Fukushima Prefecture, centered on the cities of Soma and Minamisoma (northern Hamadori)
• Origin tradition: Said to derive from military training in which Taira no Masakado, held to be the ancestor of the Soma clan, treated wild horses as enemy soldiers in the Heian period; it boasts a history of more than a thousand years.
• Related shrines: A joint rite of the Soma San-Myoken (Ota, Nakamura, and Odaka shrines), based on the Myoken (pole star) faith
• Cultural property: Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1952 (Showa 27)
• Main structure: The grand procession, the armored horse race, the sacred flag competition, and the Nomagake, with several hundred armored mounted warriors taking part

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