People in Morioka, a horse-breeding district of Iwate Prefecture in Japan, hold the Chagu-Chagu Umakko Festival to honor the god of horses. The parade begins at the Komagata-jinja shrine and ends at the Morioka Hachimangu shrine. Using white ropes, people lead richly decorated horses to the shrines. When they reach the shrine, prayers are said for the horses' well-being and the owners' financial success. Chagu-chagu refers to the sound of the bells that are hung on the horses' heads; Umakko comes from uma, the Japanese word for "horse." Discussfrom Today's Holiday http://ift.tt/1PkW0BF
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