IHI Soma District participates in the Soma Nomaoi Festival in fiscal year 2025
On May 24 and 25, 2025, IHI Soma District participated in the Soma Nomaoi Festival. This festival is a traditional event with over a thousand years of history, and is held in the Sōsō region*1 of Fukushima Prefecture.
The origins of the Soma Nomaoi Festival can be traced back to the Heian period, when Taira no Masakado, the ancestor of the Soma Nakamura Domain, is said to have used wild horses to simulate enemy soldiers in military exercises. As a traditional event representative of Fukushima Prefecture, the festival is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Today, the festival is held as a sacred ritual to pray for peace and tranquility in the Sōsō region.
A departure ceremony was held on May 24, which was the first day of the festival. At Nakamura Shrine in Soma City, Lord Toshitane Soma*2, a descendant of the Soma clan who served in the role of commander in the festival, gave the following instructions: “I hereby order each cavalry unit to organize their troops and sally forth in a dignified and majestic procession.” Every year, the Headquarters Representative of IHI Soma District fulfills the important role of guardian of the portable shrines known as mikoshi*3. The procession of mounted samurai warriors advanced in their splendid armor.
*1 Sōsō region: A general term referring to the area comprising twelve municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture, including the cities of Soma and Minamisoma, and the districts of Futaba and Soma.
*2 Lord Toshitane Soma: Grandson of Kazutane Soma, the 33rd head of the Soma clan and former lord of the Soma Nakamura Domain. The Soma clan traces its lineage back to Morotsune, a warrior active in the late Heian period. Morotsune is regarded as the first generation of the clan. Around 700 years ago, in 1323 during the Kamakura period, the clan relocated from Shimōsa Province to the Sōsō region, where they remained throughout the Edo period without ever changing their domain.
*3 Guardian of mikoshi: Responsible for guarding the front and rear of the mikoshi (portable shrine) at Nakamura Shrine.
The main event of the festival was held on the second day. Approximately 400 mounted samurai warriors paraded through downtown Minamisoma. A total of 188 employees from the IHI Group participated in the festival, including young employees, newly appointed foremen, assistant foremen, newly appointed managers, selected young leaders, and employees from IHI Jet Service and IHI Castings. Participants supported the festival by taking on key roles such as carrying the sacred palanquin*4 of Nakamura Shrine, portraying the Four Guardian Deities*5, holding flags, and serving as attendants in sacred rituals. In this way, our employees joined local residents in bringing energy to the celebration. The procession advanced in the following order: Nakanogō (Minamisoma City), Odakagō (Minamisoma City), Shinehagō (Futaba District), Kitagō (Minamisoma City), and Udagō (Soma City). As the procession visited local shrines to pay respects to deities, people in each region joined in the procession. In the final stage of the procession, at a steep slope named Yōchō-no-Saka, IHI Group employees carried the heavy sacred palanquin up the incline at a run. This drew loud cheers and applause from the spectators. The final destination of the procession was the Hibarigahara Festival Grounds. The events concluded with kacchu-keiba (armored horse racing) and shinki-sodatsusen (competition of seizing sacred flags), which were watched by an audience of approximately 35,000 people.
*4 The sacred palanquin is called gohōren in Japanese
*5 The role of the Four Guardian Deities is to guard the four corners of the mikoshi (portable shrine)
We received feedback such as the following from participants—“It was my first time taking part in the Soma Nomaoi Festival. I was deeply moved to be part of a traditional event with such rich history and prestige.” “I never expected that so many people would participate in the festival. It made me truly appreciate how this tradition has been passed down through generations.” These comments reflect a strong recognition of the importance of preserving this traditional festival for future generations.
IHI Soma District will continue participating in the Soma Nomaoi Festival to strengthen community ties and contribute to the local society.
