The Memories of Hnmachi-shi

(by Noboru)

When it comes to Haramachi-shi, I have lived there for three years alone. In 1980, I was transferred to the Soma-branch of Fukushima Prefecture Agricultural Cooperative Center.

The major industries of the city are agriculture, cattle raising, electrical goods and food processing. Besides what has made the city famous is the Soma-nomaoi Festival and the 'Musento' or radio tower.

The festival is very popular and held in July every year. It was designated as an important national intangible cultural folk treasure. The greatest attraction of the festival is 'shinki-soudatsu-sen' , samurai on horseback snatching sacred flags floating down from the sky.

Musento

You might know that the "Musento' tower was pulled down for fear that it would collapse and replaced by a 20-meter replica in 1982. At that time I sometimes saw the tower being pulled down in the distance. But I never thought I should stop to look at the tower, because I was always busy. So I only saw the site where people worked. The tower was becoming shorter and shorter day by day. At last the tower went out of sight. Then I thought I should have looked more at how the tower was pulled down. Now I remember my good days in Haramachi and missed 'Musento' very much.

(10/2002)