Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival

The Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival is held every year on the second Saturday of June in Iwate Prefecture. Originally celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, the festival date was changed to June 15 in 1958 to avoid overlapping with the busy farming season. Since 2001, it has followed its current schedule to allow more horses to participate and more spectators to attend.

The festival’s main purpose is to show gratitude to the horses used in agriculture by decorating them once a year and honoring their hard work. Many of the participating horses remain active as working animals, including those used for logging.

Historical Background

Iwate Prefecture has long been known as a centre for horse breeding. In the late 16th century, horse-drawn farming techniques were introduced, which influenced the development of a unique style of house called the Nambu Magariya (“bent house”). These houses feature an L-shaped floor plan that includes stables attached at a right angle to the main living area. This reflects the close relationship between people and horses, who lived together as family under one roof.

The festival’s roots lie in the Tango no Sekku (Boys’ Day) on May 5, which became a rare rest day during the busy farming season. Farmers would visit shrines dedicated to the guardian deity of horses, such as Sozen Shrine and Komagata Shrine, to pray for the health and safety of their horses. These visits became customary and are known as Osozen Mairi (“Pilgrimage to Sozen”).

During these shrine visits, it became popular to dress horses in konida shozoku - traditional packhorse attire - which is said to be the origin of today’s Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival.

In 1930, Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu, known for his love of horses, visited Iwate Prefecture. After visiting Onikoshi Sozen Shrine, he was presented with a parade of horses at the Shinzen Baba grounds of Morioka Hachimangu Shrine. The event was so well received that from the following year onward, it became customary to march to Morioka Hachimangu after the shrine visit.

Cultural Significance and Recognition

Today, around 60 to 100 farm horses take part in a five-hour, 14-kilometer procession during the Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival. Starting at Onikoshi Sozen Shrine in Takizawa City and ending at Morioka Hachimangu Shrine, the parade passes through nine designated points along the route. Each horse is adorned in colorful traditional costumes and accompanied by two handlers, an attendant, and a child rider, forming a vibrant and well-coordinated spectacle.

The festival’s name derives from the distinctive “chagu-chagu” sound of approximately 700 small bells attached to the horses’ outfits. This unique sound was recognised in 1996 by Japan’s Environment Agency as one of the “100 Soundscapes of Japan”, highlighting its cultural significance. In 1978, the festival itself was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, underscoring its rarity and importance in the nation’s folk heritage.