History and Culture
Historic Sites
Daihisan Stone Buddhas
A group of stone Buddhas in the Izumisawa area of Odaka Ward, Minamisoma, comprised of the Yakushido Stone Buddhas, the Amidado Stone Buddha, and the Kannondo Stone Buddha, collectively referred to as the Daihisan Stone Buddhas.
This group is part of a larger collection of stone Buddhas called the “Magaibutsu,” and is thought to have been created in the early Heian period (794-1185C.E.). It is unique as a stone Buddha group for its age, size, and artistic value, and as such was made a nationally designated historic site.
Sakurai Kofun (Ancient Burial Mound)
This nationally designated historic site is the third largest rectangular burial mound in the Tohoku region.
It is thought to have been made during the middle of the 4th century, extremely early compared to the rest of the Tohoku region. There are two graves, thought to belong to powerful family members who controlled the Niida River basin through the area’s natural productivity and intermingling with other areas.
Hayama Tunnel Tomb
Decorated tunnel tomb first discovered in the slope of Hayama Hill in 1973.
A burial chamber with a width of 280cm and height of approximately 90cm. Human figures, horses, a white deer, and swirling shapes were painted on the inner wall in red and white pigments.
Manyo Monument
A song is engraved on the monument, a gift from female poet Lady Kasa to Otomo no Yakamochi.
Structures
Former Takeyama Estate
A structure built in the latter half of the 18th century. It was once a large site covering around 4000 m2, on which was a main manor, a stable, a shed, and a traditional storehouse with thick earthen walls. All that remains now, however, is the main manor.
It is a nationally designated important cultural property as a model representation of the home of a feudal retainer.
Soma Ota Shrine
One of the three Soma Myoken shrines together with the Soma Nakamura Shrine and the Soma Odaka Shrine. It has been worshipped at for generations as the home of the patron god of the Nakamura Soma Clan.
Soma Odaka Shrine
While only a small enclosure, this shrine is an important site of the Soma Clan’s fortress during the Middle Ages. It is also the site of the horse-capturing ceremony known as nomakake held on the last day of Soma Nomaoi.
Soma Nomaoi Frame
Three screens depicting the parade, horse chasing, and horse capturing and from Nomaoi. Estimated to have been made during the middle of the Edo period, around the 18th century, this provides insight into Soma Nomaoi during the Edo period. (Soma Odaka Shrine)
Natural Monuments
Izumi Single-Needle Pine Tree
A giant tree estimated to be 400 years old. Typical Japanese black pines usually have two needles, but this tree has many single needles mixed in, making it rare. Another tree once stood during the Taisho period, and tradition states that Benkei once burned down the estate of a wealthy man living in Izumi, and that he sat in this tree watching the flames. Thus, the tree is also called “Benkei’s sitting pine tree.”
Daihisan Giant Japanese Cedar Tree
A giant Japanese cedar stands next to the stone steps leading to the Yakushido stone Buddhas in Daihisan. It reaches a height of around 45m, a circumference of 8m+, and an esetimated age of 1000 years.
Museum
The Minamisoma Museum houses exhibits themed around the nature, history, and folk customs of Minamisoma and the surrounding area, in particular the nationally designated important intangible folk culture asset “Nomaoi,” a deep-seeded tradition of the Soma area in Hamadori, Fukushima Prefecture.
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