Dating back over 1,000 years, the Soma Nomaoi is held over three days in late July at Hibarigahara Plain in Minamisoma, Fukushima. Hundreds of riders dressed in full feudal samurai armour re-enact military manoeuvres, compete in wild horse-catching (norioi), and race for sacred flags fired into the sky. Designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, the festival honours the Soma clan's ancestral military training traditions. The sight of mounted samurai galloping across the wide plain against a backdrop of banners is truly cinematic.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- Late July
- Region
- Tohoku
- Prefecture
- Fukushima
- City
- Minamisoma
Highlights
- ◆500+ riders in authentic feudal samurai armour
- ◆Wild horse-catching ceremony (norioi) on the open plain
- ◆Sacred flag competition fired from flintlock rifles
- ◆National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property
- ◆Over 1,000 years of unbroken tradition