Horse-Themed Festivals in Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyazaki

Riders dressed in samurai regalia and bearing standards recreate an ancient ritual. (© Haga Library)

Riders swarm as they struggle to snatch the sacred flags. The victors, in high spirits, then dash up the hillside to present their prize to the commander-in-chief camped at Nakamura Shrine. (© Haga Library)

The nomakake ritual is said to be unchanged since ancient times. (© Haga Library)

Brightly clad horses and their handlers create an enchanting scene. (© Haga Library)

The trek to Morioka takes four hours. (© Haga Library)

The umaire ritual features sturdy farm horses racing through a flooded rice paddy. (© Haga Library)

A horse and rider dash through the paddy, spraying mud as they go. Such stunning shots are almost always guaranteed a top place finish at the festival’s photo contests. (© Haga Library)

Women plant rice seedlings to the sound of taue (rice planting) songs. (© Haga Library)