Editorial

16:35 JST, July 6, 2025

Festivals and traditional events that have been passed down through the generations for many years in various areas are now in danger of disappearing due to a shortage of participants caused by population decline. How should these traditions be passed on to the next generation? It is hoped that people in each regional area will figure out how to resolve the situation.

The organizer for Soma Nomaoi, an annual traditional event in Fukushima Prefecture that was held in May, has abolished the requirement for female participants to be under 20 years old and unmarried, starting this year.

Because the number of participants had been declining in recent years, the organizer reviewed the conditions for taking part in the event in an effort to secure participants. As a result, eight women aged 20 or older took part. In order to preserve the tradition, the organizer appears to have deemed it inevitable to change the way the........

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