Soma Nomaoi

What to expect

The festival begins with departures from the various Myoken shrines and a procession of mounted warriors, followed by the main events at Hibarigahara Festival Grounds.

In the armored horse race, mounted warriors gallop with their sashimono banners streaming. In the battle to capture sacred flags, hundreds of riders compete for sacred flags descending from the sky.

On the final day, Nomakake is held at Soma Odaka Shrine: wild horses are driven into an enclosure, and a sacred horse is offered before the kami.

Source: 相馬野馬追／南相馬市公式ウェブサイト -Minamisoma City-

How to take part

There is a distinction between participating in events as a mounted warrior and watching from along the route or at a venue.

General visitors can watch the procession along Nomaoidori Street and events at the various venues.

A viewing ticket is required for the armored horse race and sacred flag-capture contest held on the second day at the Hibari-ga-hara Festival Grounds.

Location and access

Venue and address

The main venue is the Hibari-ga-hara Festival Grounds (Ushirai, Deguchi, Haramachi-ku, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture).

Events are also held at Soma Nakamura Jinja, Soma Odaka Jinja, Kitago Jinya and along Nomaoidori Street, among other locations.

Train and bus

From Tokyo, Haranomachi Station is about 3 hours 30 minutes away via the Joban Line and the Hitachi limited express. From Sendai, it is about 1 hour 30 minutes via the Joban Line.

The Hibari-ga-hara Festival Grounds are about 10 minutes by car from Haranomachi Station. A shuttle bus operates on the second day, with a journey time of about 10 minutes.

By car

From Tokyo, Minamisoma IC is about 3 hours away via the Joban Expressway; from Sendai, it is about 1 hour 15 minutes away.

The Hibari-ga-hara Festival Grounds are about 15 minutes by car from Minamisoma IC.

Address Within Deguchi, Gozarai, Haramachi Ward, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture

Open in Google Maps

Tips for your visit

An admission ticket is required to watch the armored horse race and sacred-flag battle on the 2nd day at Hibarigahara Festival Grounds.

Events take place not only at Hibarigahara Festival Grounds but also at shrines, in town centers, and elsewhere throughout the Soma region.

Venues and times vary depending on which events you want to see, such as the procession, horse race, or sacred-flag battle, so decide which events to attend and check their venues.

Official information

参考にした公式・公的な案内：相馬野馬追公式サイト。

相馬野馬追 公式サイト 相馬野馬追執行委員会↗

This introduction is an AI-generated summary based on the cited source.

Please check with the information provider for the latest event details and participation requirements.

Visit the official website