This Soumano uma oi event just changed its date to final Saturday, Sunday Monday of May instead of July from 2024 due to the heat in the summer. If you are planning to visit this event, please aware of the date change.
This is the kind of thing that I love about Japan. Samurai, the culture, traditions, living history, it's fantastic. This is why I want to learn Japanese and visit some day. Thank you, John, and thanks too to everyone coordinating and participating in the event. I would love to visit some day.
@鈴木理沙-s5e9 ай бұрын
I'm also waiting for you to come😊
@lollettealipe936311 ай бұрын
The beauty of Japanese culture is the how passionate the locals are to keep the traditions alive and how they are able to pass it on to the younger generations.❤ This is one of my favorite videos of yours, John.
@flourella453810 ай бұрын
I'm a Japanese and a horse rider and I love this festival so much! Other samurai festivals are just a parade after all but they are still living in history.
@sometimeswegoplaces11 ай бұрын
The heritage and history on display here is magnificent. Another reason why Japan ranks as such a unique and memorable destination. Thank you for taking us on this historic and cultural journey, John!
Thanks John, I could really feel how the senior members knew the importance of transferring not just riding skills but the spirit of the event.
@onlyinjapan10 ай бұрын
Thank you Aiken! There is a responsibility larger than one’s self with this event. Hard to call it a festival, more like a ritual - or maybe something between. It’s that importance in which they take this event that makes it so impressive as well, I couldn’t imagine my great great great great x35 grandfather participating!! 😮
@jarihult11 ай бұрын
Looks quite cool event, since 1323 wow😮Those samurai’s armors looked great 😎Thank you for sharing this John🙂👍!!!
@Bonchan-r2f10 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing this video. Let me add something here: it has been officially decided that the Soma Nomaoi festival will be held on the last Saturday, Sunday and Monday of May in 2024 to avoid the summer heat. It's no wonder that the organizers try to prevent heat exhaustion or stroke in both participants and horses.
this is awesome thank you for covering this John! your videos are first rate. you looked great in samurai armor!
@jason_from_canada11 ай бұрын
Incredible to think that this event has gone on for 700 years, including during war. Izumikawa-san's stare is very intimidating and to think he was just five when he joined. Thanks for bringing us another great story John. 👍
@aryogono633811 ай бұрын
😮 wow 8:48 you even wore the armour in that hot weather. Such commitment to immersion💪🏾👍🏽😉. Another well made video 👏🏾👏🏾
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
Have to go the distance, understand what the participants feel that day. It’s rough for all involved including the horses 🐎 medical staff on site and more safety measures than in the past limits injuries and heat exhaustion but year to year, it can be brutal or paradise.
@KenshiroPlayDotA11 ай бұрын
@@onlyinjapan Can the participants, especially those wearing armor, use some modern solutions to cool themselves ? In the summer for example, I attach a 1.5-liter water reservoir shaped like modern body armor plates between my shirt and my backpack or Camelbak, keeping me cool for at least a couple hours as the water is initially frozen. Another option would be a phase change cooling vest for example.
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
@@KenshiroPlayDotA Great question! I did not see anyone doing that which could have been a choice? I'll ask them when I go back to Soma in January.
@GO-nv6xd10 ай бұрын
2:29 Real samurai face
@sgrcheiron199810 ай бұрын
16:43 I was simply amazed that he naturally used the term "Ui jin(初陣 - "the first battle")" to mean the first participation of the event. For him, to participate in the ritual means equivalent to go to a war. Man, I have to admire his commitment.
@onlyinjapanGO10 ай бұрын
Yes!! So glad you picked up on that. My first battle! - seriously, participants DO NOT see this as a tourist attraction, which is why it’s so special. It is a battle. When I was there, I felt connected to a part of Japan you don’t feel anywhere else, very surreal - because of this strong connection to ancestors on full display knowing in 100 years from now, I will continue with their ancestors. It is an extraordinarily deep feeling.
@saltygravy692811 ай бұрын
Thank you for the video. That is an amazing piece of history. I hope it continues far past another 700 years. Beautiful work.
@rainerlovesjapan946811 ай бұрын
Great video John. Arigato so much. Love their history. Their traditions. Would love to see more of that. Wearing a real Samurai Armor = Sugoi👍🏻. Youre so lucky.
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
Thank Rainer! I think you could try it on too! The tourism agency is pretty good here, not so many tourists - but to feel the weight of real armor was such an experience! I sort of anted someone to hit me with a sword to see if I could take it but I remembered how sharp they are - maybe a nerf sword?
@rainerlovesjapan946811 ай бұрын
@@onlyinjapan Oh I love to. Unsharpen Samurai Sword perhaps is safe to hit anybody.
@CptFitzgerald11 ай бұрын
This was mindblowing. Thank you for bringing so much purifying light to us in the midst of other content creators.
@annedugan316111 ай бұрын
This was another incredible inside look at a spectacular event. Thank you for sharing this with us.
@patrishaharrigan446611 ай бұрын
Ok! Another 'To Attend' event when I go to Japan. And this one is around my Birthday!! As a girl who was raised around horses from a young age and participated in Rodeo this is right up my alley! I really enjoy videos with this kind of traditional content! Thank you so much!
@xenofalcon11 ай бұрын
Thank you John for always showing us these unique sides of Japan. Your quality never faulters.
Thank you for sharing this amazing silce of Japanese culture and history. My favorite part was capturing the wild horses.
@ARDG8911 ай бұрын
amazing! since 1323 in the same spot! way to keep traditions alive wow
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
The challenges to keep it going have been incredible, war, politics, disease and famine. But not once has it been stopped. During the pandemic, they limited it to the ritual and religious aspect, no public racing but it continued - as the museum curator said, they are quite fanatical about it, which makes it quite authentic!
@jkoadventures740111 ай бұрын
Excellent history lesson! It’s beautiful how the Japanese embrace their history and preserve these important and interesting traditions. Thank you for sharing this!
Awesome video John. If I'm ever in this region when this event takes place, I'll sure be one of the spectators. I tend to avoid Japan during the summer, but this event and other summer festivals (matsuri), not to mention summer fireworks, may make me change my mind. Greetings from The Hague in the Netherlands!
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
Maybe the festivals is the biggest reason to visit during summer. The longer day are nice too but that heat - it sucks the life outta you. Tohoku has less humidity than Tokyo and Osaka but still ... I miss summer, when winter comes! hahaha I miss the sunshine.
@黒嵜潤一郎10 ай бұрын
日本人にも余り知られていない行事です。祭りには色々あるけど、これが日本の伝統の本質なのでしょう。
@苺谷香-y4k10 ай бұрын
相馬の野馬追、超有名だけど。
@蜻蛉-w3u28 күн бұрын
関東では毎年新聞やニュースになりますが何処の地域までは知られているのかな?
@greenchilli666011 ай бұрын
Beautifully filmed, amazing, thank you so much
@kezbot211 ай бұрын
So much history here, 33 generations is mind blowing. Looking dashing too, John!
@metalslug3810 ай бұрын
interesting seeing such a old festival in modern times
@Ellen-z8p11 ай бұрын
I love their dedication to preserve tradition. And we can see that these horses get a royal treatment. And these flags look so cool! Loved thw video 😉👌
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
They do, they're VIP or VIH - it's not easy to race in such heat, but not every year is this hot. Seeing the samurai clan flags is quite awesome, makes me feel like being inside a movie's battle scene, inside history!
@zeroibis9 ай бұрын
I went to the Soma Nomaoi in 2019 and it was a great experience!
@Maleka80811 ай бұрын
Hi John, my aunty used to live in Minamisoma just a few miles away from the Soma Nomaoi site, but I didn't know about this festival. So thank you for making this and sharing it with everyone. By the way, my grandparents are originally from Fukushima. They immigrated to Hawaii and gave birth to many children there. Not sure exactly the reason, but they sent my aunty and one of my uncles (they were still kids at the time) to Japan...this was just before WWII. They both were stuck there when the WWII started. She eventually got married and they settled in Minamisoma.
this was totally worth 25 minutes of my day while i did chores i love this channel!!
@jonstabilog11 ай бұрын
Omg, I was actually at the festival and was watching the races as well, but never did I expect you to be there as well! Definitely regretted not paying more attention to my surroundings, would've been an even more memorable experience if I could've watched you in your element! I will blame it on the blistering weather though, spent at least 4-5hours under the hot sun and felt so dehydrated after, despite downing at least 2L of pocari sweat 🤣 Races aside, the parade before the races along the streets towards the racing course was amazing too! Would also like to mention, compared to other Tohoku summer festivals i went on this trip, the Soma Nomaoi festival was the only one which I did not notice any foreign tourists. So it’s great that you covered this event to increase awareness, albeit a pity that people missed the 700th year anniversary 😢
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
It was SO HOT!! I came prepared but I still was burned and dehydrated. Not a lot of attention to this festival and I’m glad to have been able to get media access to bring the story and show the inner workings a little. When you know the history, it’s an extraordinary event! Just bring a lot of water or POCARI sweat!
@jonstabilog11 ай бұрын
@@onlyinjapan The heat was unreal! I had to leave early because my body just couldn't take being under the hot sun any longer! Thank goodness the remaining festivals after this were a lot less brutal! Or it could be that this festival conditioned me for the remaining ones! I tried going through all my footages/photos but could not spot you sadly (I was seated quite high up)... Did you cover any other Tohoku festivals or is it confidential for now? 😄
@justhackerthings11 ай бұрын
Hey John! Very cool Video! I've been here since nearly the beginning of your old channel and this video is one of your best! I love it!
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
This makes me so happy to hear, it's been quite a ride for 10 years doing this - made OiJ will continue for 700 years if Leo keeps the torch going - hahaha! There are limitless stories to tell! I put a lot into this video - it's so much bigger than me and I could feel that tradition and history, it felt good to cover it and pass that info along.
@XjfksmpMuX10 ай бұрын
This festival used to be held in July but it will change the date of the festival and it will be in May to avoid the cruel summer(last time, a horse died in the heat)
@wardgirl198611 ай бұрын
I'm kind of a branched out descendant of this clan on my mother's side, which is her maiden family name. So nice to see this.
@TatsunaIikase9 ай бұрын
相馬野馬追は聞いたことあったけど実際に見るのは初めて すげえ
@metomyny10 ай бұрын
Thank you for introducing Japanese traditional culture. Not only does this event have great historical value, but it is also a place where retired racehorses can once again be active. I hope this event will continue for a long time in terms of animal welfare.
@fadeone41511 ай бұрын
I would take another trip to japan just for this.
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
Please do! Not many tourists - you'd be very welcomed.
@Del-Lebo11 ай бұрын
Amazing and wonderful history and culture! Well done as always.
Thank you so much for filming and sharing this John. You keep coming up with such amazing stories from Japan. Thank you!
@rexmays630211 ай бұрын
This was fantastic, thank you so much John from Franklin Indiana.
@stacyscooby848811 ай бұрын
this is so amazing wow mind blown thank you John for showing us . wow I am learning a lot of this amazing history .
@sneakernshirt66011 ай бұрын
Never look down. People look down when they are scared. Dont look around. Samurai dont look around.
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
The advice Izumikawa-san has is incredible! Passed down for so many generations. “Don’t looks around” … that my job! I’d never make it as samurai 😂
@johnwakamatsu33919 ай бұрын
I thank you for creating this video about a very long standing tradition. My father's parents were born in Fukashima-ken and my grandmother's family raised horses.
@kenjiarika11 ай бұрын
とても興味深い動画でした。勉強になります!
@JarmanInternational11 ай бұрын
The colors and the pride. I love it!
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
You can feel the history and soul of Japan here, such an amazing festival ٩(^‿^)۶ thanks Ruthie!
@360handle11 ай бұрын
Great video Mr. Daub
@IronLion885111 ай бұрын
As someone who is wanting to go to Japan someday, this will be very interesting to see in person. Don't laugh but unfortunately a month ago I figured out I'm allergic to horses bad enough to where I had to use an EpiPen. Anyway, love your videos and your content.
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
If you sit on the hill, you might be okay - even in event day, it’s very hard to get close to them anyway. No laughing 😉 thanks for watching ٩(^‿^)۶
@Lil-Britches11 ай бұрын
John always makes some of the best content. If not peak content on things in Japan. Been following for years now, it's crazy how long I've been a fan. My name used to be Dario.
@alilicollection11 ай бұрын
The amount of awesome things you keep adding for me to go see in Japan is simply unsustainable
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
Ive got so much more but and will keep you traveling :)
@sasha7100111 ай бұрын
Superb episode! This is why I love your channel. Great work John. I would love to attend this event in the future. I just read in the newspapers that officials (due to the heatwave and heat toll on the competitors, attendees and horses) are considering modifying the dates of the event. Do you have more news about it? Thank you for sharing this.
I’m glad they are thinking about the horses and the health of them for the future 🐎❤️ it’s a good decision although I understand how many locals feel too about Soma Nomaoi being the start of the Tohoku summer festival season. Maybe May will have more people coming to watch.
@IceCream-hp7mm10 ай бұрын
This all seems like a lot of fun to experience even with the heat.
@retropalooza11 ай бұрын
Nice job John. Perfect
@thecraigs890911 ай бұрын
Another fascinating and well researched story John 😊
@REVIEWSONTHERUN11 ай бұрын
Amazing story and cool work. Thanks for sharing it. ✌️
@akhirpekan12311 ай бұрын
oji-chan looks like the samurai from Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai, the one guarding tom cruise in the village..
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
Izumikawa-san has a heat of gold but wow - he looks the part!
@HawaiiJapan80811 ай бұрын
Wow amazing. What cool history.
@josephyeungphotography11 ай бұрын
Love it! The best documentary yet from what you've done so far🤩. I would love to see it in person one of these days, but traveling time to the area seems to be quite long, and there aren't too many hotels around the area. Maybe that helps to make it less crowded and keep the event more manageable.
@Aintnobodygottimetodomath11 ай бұрын
You can stay in Sendai, 1 hour away and take the first train to the spot I guess
Hello, nice you meet you. Thank you this good youtube, after I found this, I sent it to my friend who was an old horse jockey un Cavalier a Siena in Italia. I'm too, not use Hours but my great grand Mother marriged from Samurai Family in Mito.
@JimMendenhall11 ай бұрын
John, you look so incredibly epic in that outfit!
@silluete11 ай бұрын
The betting scene must be wild.
@TorToroPorco11 ай бұрын
Super camera work and production by John. Here all we have are rodeos and Chuck wagon races.
Captivating!! Been your viewer since the early days.. BTW, you should add "Soma Nomaoi" to the Video title..cuz right now it doesn't come up in a search.
@onlyinjapanGO11 ай бұрын
Thank you! It’s been tagged with Soma Nomaoi and it won’t show up for a while until it’s archived by KZbin. Video is just 2 days old 😅 I’ll see how it does then change things a bit.
Thank you, John! Awesome video. If you have a chance, please go to Kurobe Dam in Toyama Prefecture.
@onlyinjapan10 ай бұрын
We did 2 years ago :) but on my second channel: kzbin.infohlNwfTE--kE?si=nyNN28pde6XsQ9Yb
@Ian-yf7uf11 ай бұрын
The Greeks used to have armored racing too.
@liuming691710 ай бұрын
1:36 I want to make an supplement that this festival is not moved to soma, instead it is succeeded and moved to Soma county. Because this region's lord, the Soma clan, is Taira no Masakado 's grandson, divided from the another big and traditional clan, the Chiba clan and living in soma county(Shimōsa Province, In Kanto region, nowadays Chiba prefecture) since the 8th patriarch. Because the 8th patriarch follow the Kamakura shogunate first shougunate, Minamoto no Yoritomo to conquer Mutsu Province and made huge merits, they were been reward soma county(Mutsu province, in Northeast(Touhoku) region, nowadays Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture) as their land(by coincidence, the Date clan also moved to Mutsu province by the same reason). In Sengoku period, the Date clan, especially Date Masamune's great grandfather, Date Masamune's grandfather, Date Masamune's father, and Date Masamune himself try many times to conquer and made the Soma clan obeied the Date clan, but they all failed and the Soma clan still be independent until now. In this year's Soma Namaoi, the 35th patriarch (a 13 yeats old boy) officially inherited this event 's host
@liuming691710 ай бұрын
@@coouloc-tm9ox でも、’’相馬以外の福島の関西大名は源氏‘’これは怪しい。蘆名氏 は平氏、田村氏は忌寸氏。他に、伊達氏は平氏はない、元は藤原氏の一族(sorry that I'm not good at japanese writing, I just want to say your words are great but there are some strange thing in your words. Thank you pointed!)
@liuming691710 ай бұрын
@@coouloc-tm9ox I still had a lot of thing to learn, but I can't find evidence of the Date clan is originated from the Tairano clan, maybe you can provide it?(because the knowledge I know is from Japanese Wikipedia.)
The japanese indigenous horses the samurais actually rode were like pony and way smaller than the thoroughbred horses we saw in this video and the height of the japanese samurais was 160 cm tall on average. So the real fight between samurais might not have been so magnificent like this, but its good to inherit our ancesters spirits and I am proud of these ceremonies that lasted for 700 years as a japanese.
@onlyinjapan11 ай бұрын
Interesting insight - I didn't ask specifically about the horses and how they've evolved. I do know during the Meiji restoration, there were a lot of problems with keeping this event going. They didn't stop despite the calls to end a "samurai" festival when the samurai era ended. They pivoted to Shinto-ism to keep it going - smart! But kept the same mindset, based in Bushido. I'll ask about this next time I go back to Soma which is in January I think.
@お茶の神-u5t10 ай бұрын
Horses ridden by knights in medieval Europe were also small.
@十五夜三城9 ай бұрын
I suspect that the reason horses in the Middle Ages and Warring States period were small was not because they could run fast on flat ground like thoroughbreds, but because they had the strength, flexibility, and stamina to cross mountains, hills, and rivers. One of the reasons for this may be the balance between horse breeding and horse military operation costs, and the ``Battle of Ichinotani'' in Japan's Heian period is very interesting when considering the reason.