murmurChagu Chagu Umakko (Decorated Horse Procession)
Takizawa City and Morioka City · From Onikoshi Sozen Shrine (Takizawa) to Morioka Hachimangu Shrine (Morioka)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Chagu Chagu Umakko Preservation Society · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Jun 13, 2026 （Ended） Procession passes Onikoshi Sozen Shrine at about 9:30 and reaches Morioka Hachimangu at about 13:55
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid June
- How the date is set
- The 2nd Saturday of June
- Venue
- From Onikoshi Sozen Shrine (Takizawa) to Morioka Hachimangu Shrine (Morioka)
- City
- Takizawa City and Morioka City, Iwate
About
Dozens of farm horses dressed in brilliantly colored costumes and hung with jingling bells parade about 14 km from Onikoshi Sozen Shrine in Takizawa to Morioka Hachimangu Shrine in Morioka. The name comes from the "chagu chagu" sound of the bells, which has been chosen as one of Japan's 100 soundscapes to preserve. Iwate has long been horse country, where people lived side by side with their animals, and the tradition grew out of the custom of bringing hardworking farm horses to the Sozen shrine on the Boys' Day festival to rest them and pray for their health. Each horse is led by two handlers and carries a single child on its back. Held on the second Saturday of June, the procession can be watched at points along the route such as Takizawa City Hall, Morioka Station and Morioka's Odori shopping street.
Sources
- OfficialChagu Chagu Umakko Preservation Society chaguuma.com
- OfficialChagu Chagu Umakko Preservation Society chaguuma.com
- Reference歴史 | チャグチャグ馬コ保存会公式ホームページ chaguuma.com
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.