Japan's Soma Nomaoi Samurai Horse Festival Survives Modern Challenges
For more than 1,000 years, Japan’s Soma Nomaoi festival has brought samurai traditions to life through horse processions, races and Shinto rituals. Participants kept the tradition alive even after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Today, organizers face a new challenge: extreme heat linked to climate change.
REPORTER:
It may not look it, but Monma Mitsukiyo and his horse are getting ready for battle.
Monma Mitsukiyo (LONGTIME PARTICIPANT):
"I have been taking part for decades, but every year, as the festival gets closer, I feel a kind of excitement, my passion starts to build.”
REPORTER:
Monma is a long-time participant of the Soma Nomaoi – an ancient samurai and horse festival on Japan’s east coast.
This is the 54th year the 69-year-old is taking part. And it’s not easy getting dressed up as a samurai commander.
Monma Mitsukiyo (LONGTIME PARTICIPANT):
“On the day itself, I really become, in a sense, a samurai."
REPORTER:
The 3-day event sees processions, horse racing and blessings at Shinto shrines.
And its roots run deep—having been held annually for over a thousand years.
Futakami Fumihiko (DIRECTOR, MINAMISOMA CITY MUSEUM):
Until the Edo period, this was an event for warriors, for samurais, so naturally only samurais were allowed to take part. But from the Meiji era, after the age of the samurais came to an end, people who had not originally been warriors were also able to participate.
REPORTER:
But it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. The town lies about an hour north of the Fukushima power plant, and the community was hit hard by the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster.
Monma Mitsukiyo (LONGTIME PARTICIPANT):
"Horses were washed away by the tsunami, houses were washed away as well, and then because of the nuclear accident, this whole area had to be evacuated. Even so, we still rode horses and held a short procession."
REPORTER:
But in recent years, organizers have faced a different challenge: climate change.
Monma Mitsukiyo (LONGTIME PARTICIPANT):
"Three years ago, during the hot season, two horses died from heatstroke, or rather dehydration, and among the people taking part, I myself actually collapsed.
Nishimura Nariyaki (STUDENT):
"I have had the chance to touch the horse equipment before, and it was extremely heavy. So I think that, even just wearing or handling that, in summer, must take a lot of physical energy."
REPORTER:
Organizers decided to push the July festivities up to May. And the crowds are still showing up, attracting a wide audience.
Sato Megumi (FESTIVALGOER):
"I think there are many people here who are not only locals, but also people who have simply come as tourists. I also think there are many people who became interested in horses through horse racing and then thought they might come and see Soma Nomaoi.
REPORTER:
Despite the growing challenges, samurai like Monma Mitsukiyo still come out every year, making this unique festival not just a window into the past, but a tribute to the town’s fighting spirit.
