Soma Nomaoi is a magnificent equestrian festival with a history spanning over a thousand years, and it stands as a source of pride for the Soma region. However, it now faces new challenges brought on by factors such as a declining birthrate, an aging population, and shifts in the regional economy. Let us consider how we can preserve and further develop Soma Nomaoi for the future.
1. Current Challenges
🔹 Decline in Young Mounted Warriors
Soma Nomaoi is a festival where mounted warriors take center stage, but the number of young people with horseback riding experience is decreasing.
- Limited space for horse breeding
- Low interest among younger generations in participating
- High maintenance costs for armor and horses make it difficult to continue
🔹 Securing and Maintaining Horses: Managing the Costs
- Horse-raising costs (feed, medical expenses, stable maintenance) are increasing.
- The system for accepting retired racehorses is unstable.
- Limited horse lending systems.
🔹 Securing Funds for Festival Operations
- Event costs (venue preparation, security, and staff labor costs) are rising.
- Securing sponsors and contributions is a challenge.
- New fundraising methods, such as hometown tax donations, are needed.
🔹 Declining Number of Tourists and Raising Awareness
- As the population ages, interest in traditional events is declining.
- Awareness outside the prefecture and overseas is still lacking.
- Challenges include transportation and accommodation.
2. Initiatives to Carry the Soma Nomaoi Festival into the Future
🔹 Encouraging Participation from the Younger Generation
- Promoting horse culture education in collaboration with local schools
- Horseback riding experiences and history lessons for elementary and junior high schools
- Introducing a curriculum that teaches the history of Soma Nomaoi
- Horseback riding training program
- Horseback riding practice session for beginners
- Armor dressing experience and etiquette lessons
🔹 Efforts to Maintain and Secure Horses
- Utilizing retired racehorses
- Racehorses are trained as horses for Nomaoi and accepted by the local community.
- Supporting local horse riding clubs
- Strengthening cooperation with riding clubs and expanding the horse rental system
- Establishment of the horse ownership system
- Establish a "horse owners' association" specifically for Soma Nomaoi, and create a system for companies and individuals to provide support.
🔹 Securing Funds and Strengthening Operations
- Utilizing hometown tax donations
- Nomaoi experience events will be offered as rewards.
- Planning Soma Nomaoi merchandise, limited edition armor experiences, and more
- Acquiring corporate sponsorship
- Strengthening partnerships with local and national horse-related businesses
- Utilizing crowdfunding
- Seeking support from across the country as part of the "Soma Nomaoi to the Future" project
🔹 PR Efforts and Attracting Tourists from Japan and Abroad
- Information dissemination using SNS and the web
- Utilizing X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, etc.
- Telling the stories of mounted warriors and behind-the-scenes events
- Tourism measures for overseas visitors
- Guided tours available in English and Chinese
- Developing a package tour for inbound tourists to experience the history and culture of Nomaoi
- Introducing an online experience
- Using VR and AR technology, a system will be developed that allows people to experience Nomaoi from afar
3. Future Vision for the Soma Nomaoi Festival
🔹 A festival that evolves while preserving tradition
The Soma Nomaoi is a festival with over a thousand years of tradition, yet it must continue to evolve in step with the changing times.
- Encourage active participation from the younger generation and pass on traditions to the next generation.
- Preserve horse culture and improve the environment for maintaining and raising horses.
- Establish a sustainable funding model and stabilize festival operations.
- Utilize digital technology to spread the appeal of Nomaoi to more people.
- Attract domestic and international tourists, revitalizing the entire region.
Summary
To safeguard the future of the Soma Nomaoi, it is essential to honor its traditions while adapting to the new era.
✅ Enhanced educational and hands-on programs to encourage participation from younger generations
✅ Development of environments for securing and raising horses, and establishment of a horse ownership system
✅ Securing funds through hometown tax donations and crowdfunding
✅ Promotion utilizing SNS, websites, and digital technology to attract international tourists
Soma Nomaoi is not just a festival—it is a source of local pride and a cultural heritage. To carry this tradition into the future, let’s work together as a community and continue taking on new challenges!
