Tono, a Town Living with Horses: Iwate Prefecture's Tono City Releases New Video Showcasing Horse Culture, Promoting the Diverse Culture of a Horse-Breeding Region

The Executive Committee of the Tohoku Bariki Taikai 'Uma no Sato Tono Taikai' has released a new video introducing the equestrian culture of Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, titled 'Tono: Humans and Horses as One ~ What the Hoofprints Connect ~'. This video was produced to promote the equestrian culture of Tono City, one of Japan's leading regions for preserving horse culture. It depicts the people of Tono who do not just 'keep' horses, but 'live together' with them, fostering deep bonds.

In Tono, surrounded by mountains, horses have been deeply integrated into people's lives as a source of power for farming, transportation, and trade, as well as a symbol of faith. The value of calling horses 'Umakko' and cherishing them like family members continues to live on as a local culture.

New Special Feature Also Published on Tono City Tourism Information Site 'Tono Time'

Concurrently, the Tono City tourism information site 'Tono Time' has published a new special feature titled 'Tono, a Town Living with Horses: The Enduring Equestrian Culture and Stories', introducing the culture of Tono, which has lived alongside horses since ancient times.

The feature covers the background of Tono's development as a horse-breeding region, the value of cherishing horses like family, and introduces the traditional Shinto ritual 'Tono Nanbu Yabusame' (mounted archery), which is representative of Tono. It also highlights the traditional technique 'Bahan' (Jidahiki), a method of logging where horses and people work together to transport timber from the mountains, which is being re-evaluated as an environmentally friendly forestry practice. The skill of Bahan and the appeal of the 'Bariki Taikai' (Horse Power Tournament), where humans and horses aim for the goal as one, are also introduced.

In Tono City, numerous events will be held where visitors can experience the equestrian culture that thrives in the area.

・Umakko-tsunagi

A traditional event praying for a bountiful harvest, passed down in farming villages around the Kitakami Mountains. Straw horses are offered at water inlets of rice paddies, wells, and crossroads, with prayers for abundant grain and proper water levels. It is said that the god of the rice fields rides the offered straw horse to inspect the crops.

Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026

Venue: Tono Furusato Mura (5-89-1 Kami-Tsukimoushi, Tsukimoushi-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture)

Fee: Straw horse making experience: 1,000 yen / Traditional event & mochi pounding: 300 yen (Separate entrance fee required)

Contact: Tono Furusato Mura, Phone: 0198-64-2300

Details: https://tonojikan.jp/event/umakko-tsunagi/

・National Yabusame Competition, 19th Tono Tournament

Yabusame is a form of Japanese culture. In Tono City, where much equestrian culture remains, it has been passed down as a 'shrine dedication event' since ancient times. The National Yabusame Competition Tono Tournament values etiquette and form, honoring the spirit of ancestors who preserved this culture, and aims to pass this tradition on to children by recruiting participants from across the country annually.

Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026

Venue: Special venue on the Hayase Riverbed (17-Azawarai, Matsuzaki-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture)

Fee: Free admission

Contact: National Yabusame Competition Tono Tournament Executive Committee (Tono City Industrial Department, Livestock and Horticulture Division), Phone: 0198-62-2111 (ext. 432)

Details: https://tonojikan.jp/event/yabusame-taikai/

・47th Tohoku Bariki Taikai 'Uma no Sato Tono Taikai'

The 'Bariki Taikai' is a powerful competition that turns the Bahan technique of logging into a sport. This is an event unique to Tono, a horse-breeding region, where horses gather annually from Iwate Prefecture, Hokkaido, and various regions in Tohoku. The course is a straight line of approximately 130 meters with two obstacles that humans and horses overcome as one, and the sight of them galloping is truly magnificent.

Date: Sunday, June 28, 2026

Venue: Special venue at Yuyu Hiroba, Kashiwagidaira, Miyamori-cho, Tono City (21-Azawarai 10, Shimo-Masuzawa, Miyamori-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture)

Fee: Free admission

Contact: Executive Committee of the Tohoku Bariki Taikai 'Uma no Sato Tono Taikai' (Tono City Industrial Department, Tourism and Exchange Division), Phone: 0198-62-2111

Details: https://tonojikan.jp/event/bariki-taikai/

Please visit Tono and experience the unique culture of a 'town that has lived with horses'.

◆ Tourism Management Board Tono

The Tourism Management Board Tono is a council formed in 2022 by local business operators promoting tourism, culture, and industrial development to achieve sustainable tourism community development. (Secretariat: Tono Furusato Shosha Co., Ltd. (Registered DMO)). As a public-private partnership council, it makes decisions on tourism policies based on the 'Tono City Tourism Promotion Basic Concept' and the 'Tono City Tourism Basic Plan', and facilitates information sharing among participating organizations.

◆ Tono City Tourism Information Site 'Tono Time'

This website introduces tourist spots, model courses, accommodation, food, and souvenirs in Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, as well as providing timely information. It is jointly operated by Tono Furusato Shosha Co., Ltd. and the Tono City Tourism Association.
URL: https://tonojikan.jp/