Waited 20 Years for the Rule to Change: 39-Year-Old Jockey Miwa Hosokawa Wins After Ban on Women Over 20 Lifted [Japan Inside]

Hosokawa Miwa Participates in Traditional Horse Racing Festival 'Soma Nomaoi'
Competed Since Childhood, but Gave Up Due to 'Under-20 Only' Rule

This week, Japanese media focused on the traditional horse racing festival "Soma Nomaoi" held in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. This historic festival drew particular attention because, for the first time, the restriction on female participants was lifted. As soon as the restriction was removed, a female rider delivered an outstanding performance, attracting significant interest. Today, we share the story of Miwa Hosokawa, a 39-year-old female jockey who waited 20 years for the restriction to be lifted and finally seized her chance for victory.

Let me briefly explain what the Soma Nomaoi festival is. This region has long been known in Japan for producing excellent horses. The founder of the prestigious Soma family, which has deep roots in this area, used to conduct various military drills with wild horses raised here, and these drills eventually became a local festival. Today, the event is designated as an intangible cultural heritage. The festival features two main events: an armored horse race, where participants wear armor and ride horses for 1,000 meters, and the Shingi Jeontaljeon, a flag-capturing competition in which riders race on horseback to grab a "shingi" (sacred flag) launched into the sky with fireworks and dash to the top of a hill?the first to arrive wins.

Miwa Hosokawa participated in the game. NHK.

The event is said to have a 1,000-year history, and perhaps because of this, there was a long-standing rule: only unmarried women under the age of 20 were allowed to participate. Originally, the festival was exclusively for warriors, so women were entirely prohibited from entering. After World War II, participation was reopened to women from a gender equality perspective. However, in 1984, a new condition was introduced, stating that only unmarried women under 20 could compete, on the grounds that female participation "diminished the warrior spirit." This rule remained in place until now.

However, after the Fukushima nuclear disaster during the Great East Japan Earthquake, many people relocated from the area, and the declining birthrate further reduced the number of potential festival participants. Taking into account both the outdated rules and the decrease in participants, the organizing committee decided to abolish this restriction starting this year. As a result, Hosokawa, who drew media attention, was able to participate in the event.

Hosokawa grew up with horses, as her family has long operated a horse ranch. In fact, the horses used in the Soma Nomaoi festival every year are raised at her family's ranch. She began competing in the festival when she was in the first grade of elementary school, but due to the rule allowing only unmarried women under 20, she was unable to participate after the age of 19. In interviews with local media, she said that even now, just hearing the trumpet signaling the start of the event makes her heart race and fills her with an intense desire to ride, but she was frustrated by her inability to compete. Although she could not participate herself, she continued to support other competitors as a helper, keeping her dream alive.

Match scene of Shingi Jeontaljeon. Soma Nomaoi official website.

The organizing committee had reviewed the female participation rule several times in the past. Each time, Hosokawa waited for the day she could compete again, hoping to enter the event with her husband. This year, both of them were finally able to participate together. It took 20 years for her to return to the competition. On the long-awaited day of the event, she entered the arena with confidence, wearing a special outfit her mother had made for her. Her mother had passed away two years ago, which made her participation even more meaningful.

The competition follows simple rules: jockeys must snatch a flag and race up a designated hill. When the trumpet sounds, fireworks are launched, and when they explode, the flags are released. The flags are said to symbolize the severed heads of enemies. Since the flags may fall to the ground, jockeys must skillfully grab them with one hand while holding the reins with the other, often leading to fierce physical contests.

Amid this intense competition, Hosokawa dramatically grabbed a yellow flag in her mouth and dashed up the hill. The crowd erupted in applause. Spectators told NHK that they were amazed to see a woman capture the flag in the Shingi Jeontaljeon and expressed their admiration.

She said, "I hope women of all ages will come out and energize this competition," and added, "I want to keep participating until I become a grandmother," sharing her thoughts on her victory.

With the removal of the participation restriction, the number of female competitors in the event increased to 40 this year, nine more than last year, and among them, eight were over the age of 20. We hope Hosokawa's passion will inspire even more women to take part in the future.