Minamisōma: Coast, Stone Buddhas and Jōmon Traces

Minamisōma offers a wide range of ways to explore the area: along the coast, surf spots and a cycling path by the Mano River take center stage, while the town’s cultural attractions range from striking stone Buddhas to traces of the Jōmon period. There is also a permanent exhibition on Soma Nomaoi and historic buildings. Families can shape their days around their own interests—with outdoor activities, a closer look at the landscape and history, and visits to cultural exhibitions.

Stone Buddhas in Izumisawa

In Izumisawa are the Daibisan Stone Buddhas, which include the stone Buddhas of Yakushidō, Amidadō and Kannondō. Together with the stone sculptures of Usuki in Ōita Prefecture and Ōya in Tochigi Prefecture, they are counted among Japan’s three major groups of Buddhas carved into rock. The Yakushidō figures show the variety of ways these images were created: in a rock cave approximately 15 meters wide, six Buddha figures are carved in relief, while two others are depicted with line engravings. They are about two to three meters tall, and traces of red and yellow paint remain in places.

The Kannondō stone Buddha is also impressive in scale: the partially damaged depiction of the thousand-armed Kannon is about nine meters tall and lies northeast of the Yakushidō stone Buddhas. It is one of Japan’s largest stone Buddha figures. A park offers walks past a wall depicting the legend of the great snake, a snake monument, the Daibisan Stone Buddhas and a cedar about 1,000 years old. A stroll here brings religious sculptures, a local legend and an old tree together.

Discover Jōmon history

Urajiri Kaizuka was a settlement and shell mound covering around seven hectares, occupied from the early to the late Jōmon period, approximately 5,700 to 3,000 years ago. The site illustrates the long span of the settlement’s history. At the visitor center of Urajiri Kaizuka Jōmon Park, visitors can touch the three-dimensional image “貝塚の樹” and view an exhibition about environmental changes around Urajiri Kaizuka during the Jōmon period. At the observation house, they can also see a shell mound profile uncovered during excavations, preserved as it was found. The exhibition and the profile offer different perspectives: one on environmental history, the other on the visible structure of the archaeological find.

Festival culture and historic buildings

Soma Nomaoi is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. A permanent exhibition about the festival features a diorama of the flag-catching contest, armor and other festival equipment, as well as the Edo-period folding screen “相馬野馬追図屏風,” which depicts Soma Nomaoi. The objects on display may change. At the Soma Nomaoi Kitago Honjin Festival, mounted warriors welcome the supreme commander according to tradition; visitors can watch the ceremony up close. Check before your trip to see whether the festival is currently taking place.

Another piece of history is preserved at Nomaoidori Meijōkan, where former sake storehouses and Western-style buildings from the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa periods are maintained and restored. The buildings offer another way to explore the town’s history, alongside its early settlement traces and festival traditions.

Coastal activities and ways to focus your trip

The coasts of Kitaizumi and Karasuzaki in Minamisōma are suitable for surfing, though local conditions can vary. Sun Marine offers surfing lessons for beginners and provides wetsuits and surfboards. The course is offered from June to October, and cancellations due to weather are possible. Check the latest dates before making plans.

For a different kind of active outing, the approximately 11-kilometer cycling path along the Mano River runs mostly flat from Sedette Kashima to Karasuzaki Seaside Park on the Pacific. The surf spots and cycling route offer different kinds of activities: one is about lessons and waves, while the other is a longer ride on a mostly flat course to the sea. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide whether coastal activities, cycling or cultural discoveries will define your trip, and include the place names mentioned above in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Yugawa, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Yanaizu, Furudono, Kitakata, Fukushima, Tanagura, Kōriyama.

For the broader travel overview: Fukushima Prefecture.