Soma Nakamura Shrine

Soma Nakamura Shrine

Soma Nakamura Shrine, long revered for enshrining the patron deity of the Soma clan, is built on a small hill in the western area of the Nakamura Castle grounds.

The shrine was erected in 1643 by Soma Yoshitsune, the 18th head of the Soma family.

The main shrine is a an example of Gongen Shinto architecture, in which the main hall and worship hall are connected by a passageway, and the lacquer, painting, and metal fixtures are authentic representations of its Kan'ei era construction.

The shrine was designated as a national important cultural property in 1984.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://soma-kanko.jp/trip/nakamura-zinzya/(Japanese)
Contact

Soma City Tourism Association

(+81) 244-35-3300

Best Season
  • Autumn
Opening Hours

Open all day

ParkingAvailable
Entrance FeeFree
Access Details
AccessKita-machi 140, Nakamura, Soma City, Fukushima Pref. 976-0042
View directions
Getting there

By Car: 7 min from the Soma I.C. exit off the Joban Expressway

By Train: 10 min by taxi (or a 25 min walk) from Soma Station on the JR Joban Line

Nearby

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Cherry Blossoms in Baryo Park

<p>As the park&#39;s 630 Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees bloom simultaneously, it is easy to be swept away by the scenery. You will be able to enjoy the coming of spring as you walk along rows of cherry blossom trees on the <em>sando</em> (a road which runs from the torii gate to the shrine).</p><p>Baryo Park is a well-known location for viewing cherry blossoms, and every year from early to mid April the park holds a light-up event at night. We recommend you visit in the evening to see the cherry blossoms illuminated by the lights from the paper lanterns. A good spot for taking pictures is at the bottom of the <em>sando</em>, looking up at the torii.</p>

The World Glassware Hall
Local Foods

The Suzuki Brewery in Namie Town

The Suzuki Sake Brewery used to operate a sake brewery in Namie Town&#39;s Ukedo district, this building was located steps from the sea and was physically destroyed by the tsunami wave. This left the owner of the brewery without a home or a livelihood. They managed to evacuate with the necessities of the brewery and after the disaster, the brewery was moved to Nagai City to the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture in October 2011 (the same year as the earthquake). Since then, they&rsquo;ve continued to brew sake with the hope of preserving the traditional sake brewing techniques that had been developed by generations of brewers in Namie Town. Finally, on March 20, 2021, the brewery was able to return to its hometown of Namie with the opening of a new brewery at the Namie Roadside Station. Here, visitors can watch the Suzuki brewers at work making their delicious sake. They even use locally grown rice to make some of their sake, with a focus on maintaining their hometown flavor. At the Namie Roadside Station, you can visit the sake brewery and taste their freshly brewed sake. For visitors who don&#39;t drink sake, there is also a sake flavored soft serve ice cream that is absolutely delicious. The soft serve comes in a traditional wooden sake cup!

The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

Nanohana Flower Fields and Mazes

<p>A massive field of nanohana flowers that first bloomed in Spring 2012, bringing great joy to the community. Since 2013 to today, huge flower fields and mazes are organized for the public to come and&nbsp;enjoy entirely for free. Children can receive prizes for completing the maze and visitors of all ages are encouraged to walk through the maze and have fun.&nbsp;</p><p>Takayuki Ueno is a local farmer and creator of the Nanohana Flower Maze, planting the first flowers here in November 2011;&nbsp;eight months after the Great East Japan Earthquake.&nbsp;Click <a href="https://fukushima.travel/blogs/mr-uenos-nanohana-flower-maze/98">here</a> to read more about his inspiring story.</p>

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The Remains of Ukedo Elementary School in Namie Town

<p><span style="color:#000000">The Remains of Ukedo Elementary School in Namie Town (震災遺構浪江町立請戸小学校) are located in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">Ukedo Elementary School, located 300 meters from the sea, was having classes when the earthquake struck at 2:46 p. m. on March 11, 2011.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">A few minutes later, a tsunami warning was issued for Ukedo. The school staff urged students to evacuate immediately to nearby Mount Ohirayama, approximately 1.5 km from the school.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">When the tsunami hit about 40 minutes after the earthquake, all of the students and staff had evacuated safely.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">The school building suffered great damage from the earthquake and the tsunami, as did most of Namie town, which shortly after became under evacuation order due to the nuclear disaster (the evacuation order for some areas in Namie Town was lifted on March 31, 2017).</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">In 2021, the remnants of the Ukedo Elementary School building opened to the public. The facilities remain largely untouched, with debris, broken floors and ceilings, smashed objects, collapsed furniture and other school items. Visitors can see the extent of the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami and learn about the importance of disaster preparedness.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">At the entrance, you can scan a QR code using your phone to access the English translation of each explanation panel as you proceed through the school grounds.</span></p>

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<p><span style="color:#202124">Estimated to have been carved over 1,000 years ago, the Daihisan Stone Buddhas (大悲山の石仏) are a group of stone-carved Buddhas in Odaka, Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.</span></p><p><span style="color:#202124"><img alt="" src="/img/edit/images/5%288%29.jpg" /></span></p><p><span style="color:#202124">The Daihisan Stone Buddhas are made up of three groups of statues: the Yakushido Buddhas (薬師堂石仏), the Amidado Buddha (阿弥陀堂石仏), and the Kannondo Buddha (観音堂石仏). The statues are enshrined in a forest area with many smaller Buddha statues.</span></p><p><span style="color:#202124"><img alt="" src="/img/edit/images/3%286%29.jpg" /></span></p><p><span style="color:#202124">They are the biggest and oldest stone Buddha statues in the Tohoku area of Japan, and have been designated as a National Historical Site. Their origins, and much of their history, however, remain unknown, although they are presumed to have been built sometime during the Heian period of Japanese history, which goes from 794 to 1185.</span></p><p><span style="color:#202124">In front of the entrance to the Yakushido Buddhas is a 45 meter high cedar tree known as Daihisan&rsquo;s Giant Japanese Cedar Tree. The tree has a circumference of 8.4 meters at eye level, and is one of the largest trees in Fukushima prefecture, also estimated to be over 1,000 years old. It is designated as a Natural Monument of Fukushima Prefecture.</span></p><p><span style="color:#202124"><img alt="" src="/img/edit/images/Untitled%20design%281%29.jpg" /></span></p>

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<p>Shiramizu Amidado Temple (Amitabha Hall) was constructed in 1160 by Princess Tokuhime of the Oushu Fujiwara clan, which built the &quot;golden culture&quot; in Oushu (the present Tohoku Region). It is the only building in Fukushima Prefecture that has been designated as a national treasure. Inside the hall stands a wooden statue of Amida Nyorai as well as a number of other Buddhist statues such as Kannon Bosatsu, Seishi Bosatsu, Jikoku Tenno, and Tamon Tenno. The garden, called Jodo Teien (Jodo, or &quot;the pure land&quot;, is the Buddhist paradise) is a realm of natural beauty in every season. The scenery is especially breathtaking in summer when the lotus flowers are in bloom, prompting one famous writer to liken the garden to the mythical paradise.</p>

Bentenjima Shrine
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