2026 is the Year of the Horse, which means that many folks will be enjoying a lucky year. And while we’d love to give you your fortune for the year, we’re not qualified mediums. So instead of diving into your luck (or lack thereof) for the year, we thought it would be fun to give you some fun facts about horses and their relationship with Japan!
Read on to learn eight fun facts about the horse and why you should respect them in the year of 2026!
Where did Japan’s Horses Come From?
Despite tons of traditional art depicting how important horses were to Japanese society, it wasn't always like this. Image via Unsplash
This topic is still under debate, but we put together what information we could find on this topic. It was believed that horses didn’t really come to Japan until the 4th century AD, when they were imported from China and Korea. This was supported by things like official documents from Chinese officials noting the lack of horses and the general lack of mention in Japan’s own documents.
However, some very cool archeologists found remains of horses dating back much earlier, implying that horses had been there since the Stone Age. In fact, the current breeds of horses in Japan may be the result of cross-breeding between native horses and horses imported from Asia.
Nowadays, Japan has seven native breeds of horse, but some of their numbers are dwindling as horses from other countries are more popular for Japan’s horse racing scene.
It Took a While for Japan to Get on the Horse
One fun fact that often pops up is the fact that mounted archers eventually became the famous sword-wielding warriors known as samurai. Image via Unsplash
Japan has, in some ways, become famous for horseback riding as it’s a pivotal part of the development of the samurai. However, it took them a long time to actually hop onto a horse.
Part of the reason many didn’t really think of Japan as having horses at that time is because there’s no mention of horses being used for agricultural or military purposes before the early 5th century. It wasn’t until the Kofun period in the early 5th century that it became a widespread practice.
In fact, the only sign that some folks may have ridden horses before that is a stirrup that was found in Nara prefecture in a ditch next to a burial mound. However, this wooden stirrup only dates back to the end of the 4th century AD, so not much earlier than it became widespread.
It’s said that the idea of horseback riding and the use of horses in the military came about after those horses from the main continent were introduced.
Horses are Close to the Divine
While foxes are commonly seen at shrines, horses are a bit rarer, but can still be seen at plenty of shrines. Image via Wikimedia Commons
In Japan’s indigenous religion, Shinto, horses are thought of as being the mounts of the kami, or gods. This proximity to the gods has put them close to divinity, spawning plenty of traditions, superstitions and more surrounding these noble steeds! For example…
Lucky Horses
Horses are sometimes associated with good luck. At Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine, they hold a traditional ritual, Ao-uma shinji, on the 7th day of the new year, where seeing (and maybe even petting) the holy horse protects brings good luck and longevity. Meanwhile, the Ise Grand Shrine holds that seeing a sacred horse on the morning on a day with the number 1 in it is an omen of good fortune.
Horse Prayers
You can write any wish you want on an ema, but certain shrines are better for certain wishes, like love, academic success or career success. Image via Unsplash
One long-standing tradition at shrines is the writing of prayers or wishes to the kami on wooden plaques called ema. The word ema (絵馬) features the kanji 絵 (picture or painting) and 馬 (horse). The reason is that these plaques used to feature horse figures on them.
This is due to their proximity to the gods and reputation as being able to transmit messages to and from the gods. However, nowadays, ema can include a wide variety of images on them, including anime characters.
Horse Offerings
That's right. They used to offer horses to the kami, with live horses eventually being replaced with horse statues, figures and ema. Image via Wikimedia Commons
Japan has a long history of horses as offerings to the kami. While, according to archeological finds, the tradition started as animal sacrifice, it quickly changed as horses’ status did.
During the Nara period, offerings of horses, known as shinme, became a thing in Japan. This saw a horse being offered or dedicated to the gods as a sacred mount for prayer or good favor, leading to horses being kept in shrine stables.
Some places took this a step further, with the color of the horse being more effective for certain things. For example, black horses could help bring rain while white horses could help to stop an overabundance of rain.
These holy horses are often used in ceremonies and are highly decorated with special garb, just like the priests themselves. Image via Wikimedia Commons
However, this tradition cost a lot for both the shrines receiving horses and for the families or communities gifting horses. That’s why they started offering horse sculptures or paintings on ema instead. Nowadays, not as many shrines accept horses as offerings.
That being said, horses used in festivals are still called shinme, and sometimes, retired racehorses are still offered as shinme.
Fun fact in the Fun Fact: There was an analysis done of the horses offered as shinme, and in this analysis, they found that, between 1865 and 2017, no mares (female horses) were offered! Also, most of the horses offered were marked as being white, including those that were actually gray. Horses of rare colors were also popular!
Horses & Festivals
Japan has tons of festivals for all kinds of things, so we aren’t surprised to see that Japan has both festivals with horse traditions as well as festivals all about horses. Horses are super common in festivals with large, grand processions, like the Tenjin Matsuri, but we found two really cool traditions that stand out! Let’s start with a sport that you can see at some festivals in Japan.
Yabusame
Yabusame isn't just a cool martial art, it has a deep significance and meaning. Plus, the traditional garb is often stunning, featuring beautiful patterns. Image via Instagram
The horse’s significance in Japanese military history and religion is still practiced in some forms today, including through the martial art known as Yabusame. Yabusame is a sport that focuses on horseback archery where archers shoot arrows at targets while riding atop horses running at considerable speeds.
The Japan Equestrian Archery Association is a huge part of keeping this tradition alive, following the style of the Takeda School. This style and the rules have been well-established for over 800 years, so it really is a piece of samurai history come to life.
It also maintains a spiritual aspect by being entertaining for the kami, a large aspect of many Japanese festivals, which is why you may see this sport at some festivals. The targets and aspects of the clothing and equipment also have their own significances, such as the targets representing bad luck.
Soma Nomaoi Festival
Besides just being a good time, these traditions and ceremonies have come to emphasize the bond between horse and rider as they become one unit for a time. Image via Instagram
One of the most exciting horse festivals in Japan is a wild horse gathering ceremony held in the Soma region of Fukushima Prefecture. This event, the Soma Nomaoi Festival, is based on the traditions of both training horses as part of military exercises and a ceremony of capturing wild horses. Nowadays, the ceremony is all about the bond between horses and humans.
Although the festival has changed over time, it still maintains an amazing, exciting atmosphere from Japan’s “Warring States” period. The main day of the festival features a “solemn street parade” according to the Fukushima travel website.
However, it is then followed by horse races and horseback flag-catching competitions where the riders wear traditional samurai armor and display the flags & crests of their ancestors. This flag-catching competition features most of the participants on horseback trying to catch flags fired into the air before they hit the ground.
The final day features an event called Nomakake, where “wild horses” (not really) are chased on foot and then “captured” by participants. These horses are later praised at the local shrine.
Horse in the Morning and Horse in the Evening
What do horses have to do with time? Well, in the Japanese language, it's very important! Image via Unsplash
Did you know that the horse is eternally bound to time in the Japanese language? Let's go back to the Year of the Horse topic. Back in the day, the cycle used for both cardinal directions and time was the eto system, which translates to the sexagenary cycle in English.
This system made use of the Chinese zodiac animals to tell North, South, East and West, while also being used for the time of day. The “horse” time ran from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., meaning that noon was the horse hour.
At this time, the kanji for horse was also different, being written as 午 (compared to the modern 馬). This kanji and its significance still persists today in Japanese, with the words gozen (午前) and gogo (午後) meaning a.m. and p.m. respectively! (I guess you could say morning is before the horse and afternoon/evening is after the horse.)
Fun Fact: The kanji for the word baka, 馬鹿 (stupid/idiot/dummy), is a combination of the kanji for horse (馬・ba) and deer (鹿・ka). However, this is only because the kanji arbitrarily fit the word and has no bearing on horse's respected image. Image via Unsplash
We could talk about horses even more, but we think it’d be best to call it here. We’re excited for the new year and looking forward to what the Year of the Horse brings. If you’re looking for ways to embrace the Year of the Horse (or you’re just a horse girl), we have a great collection of charms, ornaments, tea and snacks that are perfect for starting the year of the horse with good luck and good food.
Shop the Year of the Horse here to start the year off on the right hoof!
References:
Japanese Journal of Archaeology (PDF)
Fukushima Travel
Japan Cultural Expo
Wikipedia 1, 2
Inside Japan Tours
Nippon.com
