The Soma Nomaoi is both a thousand-year-old tradition and a stage for renewal, reconnecting bonds torn apart by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The story of Nakanogo's mounted warrior, Sumi Sakamoto, is a human drama depicting profound loss from the disaster and a miraculous reunion achieved through this traditional event.
Mr. Sakamoto lost the Kanno family, his mentor in the Nomaoi and also his relatives, to the tsunami. After stepping away from the festival, he returned after 22 years. What was the unbelievable event he experienced during the sacred flag contest? Through his words, we explore the Nomaoi's role as a “device connecting the living and the dead.”
1. Thoughts on His Mentor, the Kanno Family, Lost to the Tsunami
Q: What role did the Kanno family play in your Nomaoi journey?
Sumie Sakamoto (hereafter Sakamoto): My Nomaoi life was supported by the Kanno family in Kitago, who were my relatives. They supported me both materially and emotionally when I made my debut as a high school student. The time I spent with the Kanno family was my youth itself.
Q: How did the earthquake disaster impact your Nomaoi and your life?
Sakamoto: The 2011 tsunami took the lives of four family members, all except my uncle Chōhachi. It swept away our home and all our horses. The place that was my mentor and my emotional anchor vanished in an instant. The sheer sense of loss drove me away from Nomaoi for a time.
2. A Comeback After 22 Years and a Miraculous Reproduction
Q: After that, following a long hiatus of 22 years, you made a full-fledged return in 2022. What made you decide to return?
Sakamoto: Ultimately, the Nomaoi was the only place where I could reaffirm my bond with the Kanno family. Then, in 2023, during the sacred flag contest riding a horse borrowed from my uncle, I witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Q: What kind of miracle occurred during the Sacred Flag Contest?
Sakamoto: The sacred flag, launched into the sky, rode the wind and descended straight toward me. It was exactly the same situation as when I first captured the sacred flag in my third year of high school. It felt as if the sacred flag had chosen me and come to me.
Q: What thoughts crossed your mind in that moment?
Sakamoto: I took it as proof that the departed members of the Kanno family were watching over me, saying, “You've come back well.” The Nomaoi is not just a festival. I felt strongly that it is a “living mechanism” connecting the region's dead and living, passing on the community's memories.
3. Preserving Tradition and a Message for the Future
Q: I understand that during the 2023 Nomaoi, horses showed signs of heatstroke amid the intense heat, forcing the organizers to abandon the sacred flag contest.
Sakamoto: Yes. That heat pushed both riders and horses to their limits. Even military strategist Monma-san was directing while receiving IV fluids. It forced us to weigh the balance between preserving tradition and safeguarding lives. I believe moving the event to May was an unavoidable decision to ensure the tradition's future.
Q: Finally, what does the Soma Nomaoi mean to you, Mr. Sakamoto?
Sakamoto: “The earthquake taught us what truly matters.” For me, the Nomaoi is a memorial for what we lost, a gratitude for the lives we have now, and a regional pride that must be passed on to the future. By donning armor and mounting horses, I believe we reclaim the samurai spirit and gain the strength to face adversity.
