Soma Area Ethnic Customs Exhibit

The Soma area is called the hometown of Nomaoi, but our relationship with horses isn’t limited to that one event. Horses were thought of in ancient times as the form of transport for gods and people of high rank. They have served a wide variety of purposes for the masses as well over the years, as mounts for samurai during the Middle Ages, to transporting good and helping with farming from the Momoyama Period (1574-1600) through the end of World War II.

In this corner of the museum, we showcase the deep connection between humans and horses, as well as the religious beliefs developed to pray for the safety of horses.

Shirokaki refers to the tilling of a rice paddy in spring. First, farmers use a hoe to break apart the earth. Then they add fertilizer and water, and attach a harrow or rake known as a manga (lit. “horse-hoe”) to a horse to churn the earth together, making it soft and ready for planting. After this hard work is finished, farmers would pray to the god of fields known as Manga-arai for an abundant harvest.

Horseshoes are vital for protecting a horse’s feet, and are attached to the sole of a horse’s hooves. Town and village hoof specialists known as kanagutsu-ya were very active from the Meiji Restoration (1868) through the end of World War II, as the use of horses for transporting goods and tilling land became widespread. In Soma, the hometown of Nomaoi, hoof specialists continue to hold important roles even today.

Batoukannon is said to have a horse head placed above their head, and wears a wrath-filled expression as they destroy evil spirits. A horse’s recovery from an illness was considered by the common person to be a divine reward for virtuous deeds, and during the Edo period this belief spread as a folk religion. Stone monuments honoring Batoukannon were erected at crossroads on old routes that people once traversed with their horses. Even now such monuments can still be spotted on old routes that run through the city.

Salmon are east Japan’s specialty, with fishing mainly focused in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions. Salmon fishing largely centered around fishing in rivers until the Edo Period (1600-1868).

It is said that on the 15^th day of the 11^th month of the old Japanese calendar, the king of salmon would climb upriver along with his family. Furthermore, salmon were considered an indispensable part of the New Year’s Eve meal, and were used as gifts.

In this corner of the museum, we examine the lives and wisdoms of the people who focused their food and livelihoods around the Niida River while protecting its blessings.

Records of salmon fishing in the Niida River go back roughly 370 years. Fishers used wooden slats made of bamboo to dam the stream, then catching the salmon that had swum upstream with casting nets or harpoons. Fishers focused solely on catching fish from the Edo Period through the first half of the Meiji Period (1868-1912), without any efforts to protect egg-laying. However, with the formation of the Niida River Salmon Breeding Association in 1892, it established salmon spawning zones and made efforts to safeguard fishing grounds, and established a manmade hatchery in 1904.

Salmon is appreciated as a taste of autumn, and is also salted and enjoyed as a preserved food. Standard salmon dishes include salted and grilled salmon, as well as harakomeshi, a dish made using both salmon and salmon eggs.

From the Edo Period to the early modern period, horses were used to transport salmon from the Soma area over the Yagisawa Pass to Kawamata and the Nakadori area to the west. Riders would not make any relay stops along the way in order to preserve the freshness of the salmon. The horses used to make these direct deliveries were called tooshi-uma, or “through horses.” Riders would have salmon loaded into 4 baskets for the horses to carry, and would depart with 3 or 4 horses in the afternoon to avoid the mid-day sun.

Road signs known as michishirube were placed along the roadside in the form of stone pillars displaying directions and distances in order to prevent travelers from becoming lost. They were often posted at crossroads in cities or near temples or shrines.

There are some michishirube that also served as stone Buddhist images or statues to honor the guardian deity of travelers. These were used to pray for safe travels.