Komaki’s Horse Festival, Carried On with the Gohonbo and a Monkey Flag
Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual
The 2026 edition of Gohonbo Omanto Ritual has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/11Ended
- Season / frequency
- Autumn
- Location
- Komaki Shinmei Shrine, Higashimachi neighborhood, and the Higashimachi horse lodging
- Area
- Aichi Prefecture・Komaki City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 h · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Last updated
- 2026/11/14
The Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual, passed down in Higashimachi District, Komaki City, is a traditional event in which an uma-no-tō and flags are carried through the neighborhood in procession and offered at a shrine.
About Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual
The Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual is an offering event featuring an uma-no-tō (Omanto), passed down in Higashimachi District, Komaki City, and designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the city.
It is said to have originated when the Gohonbo, bestowed by Tokugawa Yoshinao, the first lord of the Owari Domain, was placed on the uma-no-tō saddle and a flag decorated with a picture of a monkey was raised.
Today, Higashimachi’s Gohonbo Omanto is offered at Akiba Shrine and Shinmei Shrine.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the horse adorned with the Gohonbo and the procession carrying a flag bearing a picture of a monkey.
According to the 2026 report, the procession was led by a young person dressed as an ashigaru and carrying a replica flagstaff, followed by the hanau馬 accompanied by a groom and children in coats holding red-and-white ropes.
At Shinmei Shrine, the established order is also observed: the Gohonbo Omanto enters the before the other and the shishi.
Komaki’s Horse Festival, Carried On with the Gohonbo and a Monkey Flag
What to expect
The event begins with preparations for the Gohonbo Omanto at the Higashimachi horse lodging.
The procession makes an offering at Akiba Shrine in the morning, tours Higashimachi, and returns to the horse lodging. In the afternoon, it proceeds to Shinmei Shrine to make an offering.
When the of Shinmei Shrine’s autumn grand festival ends, the Gohonbo Omanto returns to the Higashimachi horse lodging.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Komaki Shinmei Shrine / Higashimachi neighborhood and the Higashimachi horse lodging
Event venue 愛知県小牧市 小牧神明社
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 Event Information (The listed event dates have passed)
October 11, 2026 (Sunday) It was reported as having taken place as part of the autumn grand festival at Komaki Shinmei Shrine.
According to the 2026 report, the procession appeared shortly after 10 a.m.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Aichi Prefecture / Komaki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
During the 2026 procession, feeding the horse was canceled at the owner’s request and replaced with time for interaction with local children.
If you wish to touch or feed the horse, please follow the instructions at the site.
Nearby attractions
メナード美術館
愛知県小牧市にある美術館
小牧山
愛知県小牧市の山
田縣神社
愛知県小牧市にある神社
Origins and History of Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual
The Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual has a tradition dating back to the early Edo period and is considered an event that reflects the special relationship between the Owari Domain and Komaki Village.
In the past, each district made offerings of uma-no-tō, and the event was held on a grand scale until the postwar years. As the number of draft horses declined, the offerings dwindled, and today only Higashimachi’s Gohonbo Omanto remains.
The horse ornament’s box bears an inscription dated 1849, while the backs of the horse tack bear ink inscriptions dated 1826 and 1863. Some of the equipment used since the Edo period has been preserved.
Official information
Komaki City’s “Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual”
Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual at a Glance
The Gohonbo Omanto Hono Ritual is an uma-no-tō offering event in Higashimachi District, Komaki City, dating back to the early Edo period.
A procession carrying the Gohonbo and a flag bearing a picture of a monkey sets out from the Higashimachi horse lodging, proceeds to Akiba Shrine, through the neighborhood, and on to Shinmei Shrine. After making its offering, it returns to the horse lodging.
The tradition of Omanto offerings once made by each district is now carried on by Higashimachi’s Gohonbo Omanto.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/14
