Morioka Hachimangū (盛岡八幡宮)

Every second Saturday in June, more than a hundred horses dressed in crimson harnesses and bells walk fifteen kilometres from Takizawa to Morioka Hachimangū. The procession is called Chagu Chagu Umakko — the name is onomatopoeia for the sound of bells — and it has continued for three hundred years, originating as a thanksgiving ritual by farmers whose livelihoods depended on farm horses. The shrine receives them at journey’s end, and for one day the entire precincts become a festival ground where northern Japan’s horse culture is made visible and audible.

Morioka Hachimangū was established in 1062 by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi during his campaign to suppress the Abe clan in the Former Nine Years’ War. After securing victory, Yoriyoshi enshrined Hachiman, the deity of archery and warriors, to protect the newly pacified region. The shrine was rebuilt and expanded in 1680 by Nanbu Shigenao, the lord of Morioka Domain, who moved it to its current location and established it as the spiritual centre of the castle town. The main hall follows the gongen-zukuri architectural style, and twelve smaller shrines were incorporated into the grounds, creating what locals call “Morioka’s Twelve Shrines in One” — a single visit allows worshippers to receive blessings from twelve different kami.

Hondawake no Mikoto (Emperor Ōjin) is the primary deity, worshipped as Hachiman, the protector of warriors and the nation. He is enshrined alongside Okinagatarashi-hime no Mikoto (Empress Jingū), his mother and a legendary warrior-empress, and Himegami, a collective of three goddesses associated with maritime protection and weaving. The shrine complex also houses kami governing matchmaking, safe childbirth, academic success, and commerce, making it a multi-purpose spiritual centre. Hachiman’s messenger is the dove, and white dove motifs appear throughout the shrine’s architecture and amulets.

Hachiman’s origins trace to the deified spirit of Emperor Ōjin (reigned approximately 270–310 CE), whose reign was marked by military prowess and the introduction of continental culture to Japan. According to the Nihon Shoki, his mother Empress Jingū led a legendary military campaign to Korea while pregnant with him, and he was born after her victorious return. Hachiman became the tutelary deity of the Minamoto clan, and his worship spread across Japan during the samurai era. At Morioka Hachimangū, a local belief holds that praying to the twelve subsidiary shrines in a specific order brings comprehensive protection — a practice called junpai (順拝), which devotees perform during New Year’s and before major life events.

The vermilion-lacquered main hall is surrounded by a sprawling complex of twelve subsidiary shrines, each dedicated to a different aspect of life: the Koma Shrine for horses and agriculture, the Tenmangu for scholarship, the Gokoku Shrine for war dead, and the Hie Shrine for mountain protection, among others. The grounds span twelve acres and include a five-hundred-year-old cedar tree called Rōsugi (老杉), believed to house protective spirits. A large stone torii marks the main approach, and the spacious forecourt can accommodate tens of thousands during festivals. The shrine maintains a traditional kagura stage where sacred dances are performed during major celebrations.

• Chagu Chagu Umakko (Second Saturday of June) — Over one hundred decorated horses walk fifteen kilometres from Sozen Shrine in Takizawa to Morioka Hachimangū, accompanied by children in traditional costume. The procession begins at 9:30 AM and arrives around 1 PM. The event is nationally designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
• Reitaisai Grand Festival (September 14–16) — The annual autumn festival featuring portable shrine processions, yabusame horseback archery demonstrations, traditional music performances, and over two hundred food and game stalls lining the approach roads.
• Hatsumode (January 1–3) — More than 350,000 people visit for New Year’s prayers, making it the busiest shrine event in Iwate Prefecture.

June for Chagu Chagu Umakko, when the shrine becomes the culmination point of Japan’s most photogenic horse festival. Arrive by noon to see the horses enter the grounds. Autumn (mid-September) for the Grand Festival offers samurai-era pageantry and street food culture. Winter visits are quietest; the cedar trees hold snow beautifully, and the twelve-shrine pilgrimage can be done in contemplative silence. Avoid January 1–3 unless you want the full crowd experience — half the prefecture is there.