Iwate honors its equine workforce

Dating back to the Edo period, 'Chagu Chagu Umakko' is a cherished early summer tradition in the Tohoku region's Iwate Prefecture. The celebration pays homage to the horses that helped locals with their agricultural work. The name Chagu Chagu is thought to be a reference to the tinkling of the bells that decorate the magnificent creatures.
The procession of about 60 horses and children departed from a shrine in Takizawa City. It then slowly paraded about 14 kilometers to Morioka Hachimangu Shrine in Morioka City.