Japan: Modern-day samurais battle new foe: Climate change

Article excerpt

Japan's Soma Nomaoi festival, a thousand-year-old samurai tradition that has endured wars, earthquakes, and nuclear disaster, now faces an unexpected adversary: extreme heat. The festival, which features horsemen performing ancient martial displays, has struggled in recent years as climate change brings dangerous temperatures to the region. Organizers and participants must adapt ancestral practices to survive modern environmental conditions, raising questions about how centuries-old cultural traditions navigate an era of escalating climate impacts.