The year 2026 is the Year of the Horse! Introducing Iwate's Horse-related Spots [Onigoe Aozen Shrine, Arakawa Komagata Shrine, Tono Furusato Village

  • Iwate
  • Sightseeing
The year 2026 is the year of the horse!
Iwate Prefecture is dotted with shrines that are steeped in history and beliefs related to horses. Among them, Onikoshi Sozen Shrine in Takizawa City and Arakawa Komagata Shrine in Tono City are the perfect shrines to visit for the first time in the year of the horse. Onigoe Souzen Shrine is famous for the traditional event "Chagu Chagu Umakko," in which visitors can feel a deep bond with horses. Arakawa Komagata Shrine, on the other hand, symbolizes the horse-breeding culture of Tono, and is also home to a mysterious anecdote, in which a one-eared white horse is enshrined in the hall of worship. The article also introduces "Tono Furusato Village," where you can experience how people lived with horses in those days.

Onikoshi Sozen Shrine, where the spirit of the beloved horse dwells.

Onigoe Sozen Shrine in Takizawa City, Iwate Prefecture, is known as a shrine where the love of horses comes alive. In Iwate Prefecture, which has long been known as a horse-producing region, farmers began to keep horses for farming with the same love and affection as family members during the Kansei era (around 1789), and the Nambu Magariya, a house where people and horses lived under one roof, was built. Komagata (Onigoe) Shrine, which enshrines the god of horses, was born out of this spirit of love for horses. The highlight of the Onigoe Souzen Shrine is the Chagu Chagu Umako, held every year on the second Saturday in June. The scene is breathtaking as many Umakosi walk one after another out of the torii gate during the procession. If you visit the shrine early in the morning before the procession departs, you can see the horse owners dressing their horses. The scene of the horses and their owners gives visitors a sense of the "spirit of horse love," a long-standing tradition. Onigoe Sozen Shrine accepts red seals only during the year-end and New Year's holidays, the annual festival, and the day of Chagu Chagu Umako.
Exterior view of Onigoe Souzen Shrine

A must-see traditional event [Chagu Chagu Umakko].

Chagu Chagu Umakko was born from a custom of visiting the shrine to heal farm horses on Dragon Boat Festival in the olden days, in the spirit of people's love for horses. The parade of the horsemen dressed in costumes along the 14-kilometer road from Onigoe Sozen Shrine to Morioka Hachimangu Shrine is an early summer tradition in the Michinoku region. The sight of the horses walking against the backdrop of Iwate's rich natural environment and the grand procession of the horse-drawn carts striding through the streets of the city is very impressive. In 1978, it was selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as an "intangible folk cultural asset that should be recorded," and in 1996, it was selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan to be Preserved.
Colorful decorations of Chagu Chagu Umako
Umako walking against the backdrop of Mother Nature

Chagu Chagu Umakko Hatsumode

The Chagu Chagu Umako-Hatsumode is a New Year's event in which dressed-up horses and their owners visit the Onigoe Sozen Shrine to pray for a safe and bountiful harvest. The scenery covered with silvery snow and the brightly colored costumes match each other, and the Chagu Chagu Umako look different from the procession held in early summer. The Chagu Chagu Umako Hatsumode began in 2002, the year of the horse. A mini parade will be held in the shrine grounds and in front of the shrine on the day of the event, so be sure to see Chagu Chagu Umako at the beginning of the year 2026, the year of the horse. *As for the Chagu Chagu Umako Hatsumode in 2026, it is scheduled to be held on January 1. (As of September 2025)
Chagu Chagu Umakko Hatsumode
Praying with Umako
Onigoe Sozen Shrine Takizawa City, Iwate Prefecture
Chagu Chagu Umako Takizawa City, Iwate Prefecture

Arakawa Komagata Shrine, where a mysterious anecdote remains

Nestled in the mountains of Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, Arakawa Komagata Shrine is a mysterious shrine with a deep connection to horses. It is a precious reminder of Tono's horse-breeding culture, which dates back to the Middle Ages when the Sasaki clan, vassals of the Asonuma clan (Asonumashi), enshrined a horse-breeding deity. Legend has it that when the priest Mujin Osho of Tozenji prayed, the spirit of Hayachine-san appeared riding a white horse. According to the legend, a white horse with one ear is enshrined in the hall of worship as a sacred object. The shrine grounds are lined with dedicated torii gates, and in the solemn atmosphere, visitors can feel the bond between horses and people through the dedication of ema (votive picture horses) and reins that contain prayers for the horses.
Arakawa Komagata Shrine
Arakawa Komagata Shrine Tono City Tourism Information Site "Tono Jikan"

Tono Furusato Village, where you can experience Tono's rural culture

Tono Furusato Village is one of the sightseeing spots around Arakawa Komagata Shrine. Tono Furusato Village is a recreation of an old Tono farming village, a tourist facility filled with nostalgia and warmth, as if you have wandered into a world of old tales. In the well-kept nature of the satoyama, "Nanbu-kuriya," a unique house in Iwate Prefecture where horses and people lived together, has been relocated and preserved to show how people actually lived from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Showa period. In the village, horses actually live in the Nanbu-kuriya. Visitors can leisurely tour the village, interact with local volunteers, play with the horses, and enjoy the sun on the porch. Please enjoy the seasonal scenery of this soothing mountain village as you experience Tono's folklore culture and rural life.
Autumn in Tono Furusato Village
Tono Furusato Village Official Website

In the year of 2026, the year of the horse, go on a trip to Iwate Prefecture to experience its shrines, culture, and spots!

In Iwate Prefecture, the mountains are filled with colorful foliage in autumn, and the great nature becomes a world of white and silver in winter. It also has a unique culture that has been built by people and horses since ancient times. The year 2026 is the Year of the Horse! A New Year's visit to Onigoe Sozen Shrine and Arakawa Komagata Shrine, both of which are associated with horses, will be an auspicious visit in honor of the Chinese zodiac. Why not take this opportunity to visit Iwate Prefecture?
The contents and services in this article are subject to change.
All images are for reference only.

Combine your favorite train with lodging or a day trip plan for a great travel experience!

You can make your own original trip!

JR East View Dynamic Rail Package is a variable price individual travel product available only on the web. Depending on the timing and conditions of your application, you may be able to get a discount as early as the day of departure. We also offer one-day trip plans! Enjoy your own unique trip according to your schedule and purpose.
Tags related to this article
Previous post Back to list Next
related articles