Horse Trot Jingle
Near: Morioka (Event is Free)
Event Date(s):
Jun. 12, 2025
Dates are subject to change without notice. Check with the official organizers before making travel arrangements.
This is a quiet, beautiful event/festival called the "Horse Trot Jingle" (in Japanese, "Chagu Chagu Umako" チャグチャグ馬コ) that happens near the city of Morioka in northern Japan. Up to a hundred horses dressed in bright colors and with lots of bells hanging from the dress make their way approximately 15 miles from Onikoshisozen Shrine (鬼越蒼前神社) to Morioka City. This event has a couple hundred years of tradition behind it and was started as a way to reward the horses which worked so hard in the fields. This area of Japan, Iwate Prefecture, is known as a "horse breeding area" and the folks around this prefecture love their horses. The horses depart Onikoshisozen Shrine around 9:00 a.m. and arrive in Morioka in the late afternoon. The festival is not super exciting but it is very interesting and the dress is very beautiful. The best way to see this festival would be to arrive at Onikoshisozen Shrine at about 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. and watch as they leave.
Ukaisotokubo
Takizawa, Iwate 020-0659 Japan
Website: Horse Trot Jingle Homepage
