the second day of the festival:
In the early morning, participants from the five villages merge into one entity. They go in procession through the city streets to Hibarigahara. The procession starts at the signal by a beacon.
The supreme commander wears a red mantle(horo) to prevent stray arrows from behind.
Mounted warriors come in a stream to Hibarigahara.
The supreme commander goes up a sloped road to a place for giving rewards.
A ceremony is held there.
Finally, a song and dance are performed.
Armor horse races(甲冑競馬, Kacchu-keiba) start around noon. The sound of trumpet shells signals the start of a race. This year 10 ten-horse races were held.
Riders run up a winding, sloped road on a first-come-first served basis. Then winners receive rewards.
The competition for sacred flags(神旗争奪戦, Sinki-sodatsusen) starts around 1 p.m.
After daytime fireworks with two flags are set off, horseback riders scramble for the falling flags. This year 20 rounds were shot. The riders entangle the flags with horsewhips. Sometimes riders can get hurt.
Red and yellow flags are falling.
Winners run up the sloped road and receive rewards.
The portable shrines are carried back to the three shrines.
Participants from Uda-go return to the Soma Nakamura Shrine with its portable shrine.
Participants from Odaka-go return to the local area by the road illuminated by about 5,000 bonfires. More than 5,000 aerial fireworks are launched.
Around 5 p.m., participants from Shineha-go take part in a mini competition for sacred flags after returning to the local area. They go home around 7 p.m.
the last day of the festival:
Wild horse chasing(野馬懸, Nomagake) is a Shinto ritual that comes from offering captured wild horses.
After cavalrymen chase bareback horses inside the bamboo enclosure at the Odaka Shrine, men in white the horses catch the horses with their bare hands.
They dedicate the first captured horse to the shrine's god, and hitch the horse to a post.
Other captured horses are put up to auction on the spot.
In the early morning, participants from the five villages merge into one entity. They go in procession through the city streets to Hibarigahara. The procession starts at the signal by a beacon.
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
Horen(portable shrine)
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
The supreme commander wears a red mantle(horo) to prevent stray arrows from behind.
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
The vice commander wears a yellow mantle(horo) to prevent stray arrows from behind.
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flilckr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 お行列 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
Mounted warriors come in a stream to Hibarigahara.
The supreme commander goes up a sloped road to a place for giving rewards.
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| 相馬野馬追 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
A ceremony is held there.
Finally, a song and dance are performed.
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| 相馬野馬追 相馬流れ山 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
Armor horse races(甲冑競馬, Kacchu-keiba) start around noon. The sound of trumpet shells signals the start of a race. This year 10 ten-horse races were held.
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jjetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 甲冑競馬 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
Riders run up a winding, sloped road on a first-come-first served basis. Then winners receive rewards.
 |
| 相馬野馬追 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
The competition for sacred flags(神旗争奪戦, Sinki-sodatsusen) starts around 1 p.m.
After daytime fireworks with two flags are set off, horseback riders scramble for the falling flags. This year 20 rounds were shot. The riders entangle the flags with horsewhips. Sometimes riders can get hurt.
 |
| 相馬野馬追 神旗争奪戦 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
Red and yellow flags are falling.
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| 相馬野馬追 神旗争奪戦 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 神旗争奪戦 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
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| 相馬野馬追 神旗争奪戦 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
Winners run up the sloped road and receive rewards.
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| 相馬野馬追 神旗争奪戦 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone |
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| 相馬野馬追 神旗争奪戦 Soma-Nomaoi 2013 by jetalone /flickr |
The portable shrines are carried back to the three shrines.
Participants from Uda-go return to the Soma Nakamura Shrine with its portable shrine.
Participants from Odaka-go return to the local area by the road illuminated by about 5,000 bonfires. More than 5,000 aerial fireworks are launched.
Around 5 p.m., participants from Shineha-go take part in a mini competition for sacred flags after returning to the local area. They go home around 7 p.m.
the last day of the festival:
Wild horse chasing(野馬懸, Nomagake) is a Shinto ritual that comes from offering captured wild horses.
After cavalrymen chase bareback horses inside the bamboo enclosure at the Odaka Shrine, men in white the horses catch the horses with their bare hands.
They dedicate the first captured horse to the shrine's god, and hitch the horse to a post.
Other captured horses are put up to auction on the spot.
excellent shots!
ReplyDeleteThanks! They have gone on expeditions to the United States, the UK, Russia and Brazil.
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