 |
| Kakeuma cling to a running horse neck In 1999 they started Kakeuma again, though they had been dropped it since 1967 because of the breakup of Seinendan (a group of young men). |
Running Horse Festival
Kakeuma (Umakake) Matsuri
Hirachi-Shimmeisha (shrine) in Handa city
The first Sat. & Sun. in April
If the either of the days falls on April 1,
the festival will be held on the second Sat. & Sun. in April
|
| Kakeuma cling to a running horse neck In 1999 they started Kakeuma again, though they had been dropped it since 1967 because of the breakup of Seinendan (a group of young men). |
It has been said that the trigger of Kakeuma (lit. running horse.) was come from a victory
of Nobunaga Oda against Yoshimato Imagawa in the battle of Okehazama in 1560.
Lots of people who lived around Nobunaga's castle (Kiyosu Castle) made
horses rush to the castle
and welcomed his return in triumph with rejoicing.
After that, people started to join the village festivals parading with
decorated horses (uma-no-toh or omantoh) or
making horses run in the precincts of shrines (kakeuma)
This custom has remained in Owari area, West-Mikawa area and East-Mino
area
as few days dedication of horses to shrine.
No one knows when Kakeuma in Hirachi-shinmei-sha started, but there is
an account
in the vol. 4 of Owarida-no-mashimizu published in the second half of Edo
period by the Owari Clan
that "The shrine building was burned out in 1581.They hold a main
festival
and dedicated dragon dance, Sasa dance and Kakeuma to Hirachi-shinmei-sha shrine in August 1st."
Hirachi-shinmei-sha is the only shrine which has kept kakeuma in Handa
city.
kake-uma dedication in other cities
Higashiura-cho(5 shrines), Oobu City (2 shrines), Kariya City(1 shrine),
Takahama City(1 shrine),
Hekinan City(3 shrines) and Nishio City(1 shrine), they also keep similar
Kakeuma.
There are approximately 80 special horses for Kakeuma,
and they are raised in the Chita Peninshula and Nishi-Mikawa area.
| schedule | ||
| The first Saturday in April |
8:00 - 13:00 | mochitsuki / making mochi (rice cakes) |
| 13:30 - 16:00 | kodomo-mikoshi / parade by children carring small potable shrines | |
| 18:00 - 21:00 | yoimiya /festival eve .......lion dance | |
| The first Sunday in April |
8:30 - 9:00 | shinto ritual |
| 9:30 - 10:50 | parade of decorated horses (course) | |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Kakeuma (main event) .....The picture above | |
| 12:30 - 13:30 | let's take a ride on a pony | |
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Kakeuma (main event).....the picture above | |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | cleaning of the ridding grounds | |
| 15:30 - 15:35 | mochinage / rice cake throwing or rice cake shower | |
| reference : A group to preserve Umakake TEL 052-22-3110 | ||
access
Take JR Tokaido-Honsen Line Bound for Hamamatsu or Toyohashi from Nagoya
sta.
Change the train at Obu sta. to the Taketoyo Line.
Get off at Kamezaki Sta. (30-40 min from Nagoya )
Hirachi Shinmeisha (shrine) is 5 minutes walk from Kamezaki sta.
inquiries
0569-22-3110
