The Tradition of Satsuma Horse Dancing

Festival highlights

A highlight is watching the brilliantly decorated horses dance with nimble steps as their bells ring.

The horses bob their heads and take light steps to the sounds of shamisen, kane bells, and taiko drums.

Numerous dancers follow behind, creating an offering performance in which the horses, music, and dancing come together.

Satsuma’s offering performance, with decorated horses and dancers

What to expect

During the event, decorated horses dance to the accompanying music, followed by the dancers.

At the Hatsuuma Festival at Kagoshima Shrine, horses visit Hoke Shrine to receive banners and gohei streamers. These are placed in the horses’ saddles, and they perform dances at the horse-dancing grounds in the shrine precincts or in front of the main hall.

Traditions also include kadozuke, in which performers visit private homes after making an offering, and horse dancing performed by dancers alone, without horses.

Location and access

Host prefecture Kagoshima Prefecture

This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.

Open in Google Maps

Dates and season

It is generally held each year on the Sunday after day 18 of lunar month 1.

At the Hatsuuma Festival at Kagoshima Jingu, it is held on the Sunday after day 18 of lunar month 1.

Because the places where offerings are made and the schedules vary by region, you should check with the relevant municipal or town board of education before visiting.

Origins and History of The Tradition of Satsuma Horse Dancing

This tradition is said to have spread to various areas from the suzukake-uma dance at the Hatsuuma Festival held at Kagoshima Shrine in Hayato Town, Aira District.

There are different theories about its origins: one dates it to the Muromachi period, while another says it began when people who cared for the shrine’s sacred horses presented the shrine with horses they had raised to maturity.

As the number of horses used for farming declined, the practice shifted to offerings made by people in their unlucky years, neighborhood associations, companies, and others.

Official information

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties introduces the Tradition of Satsuma Horse Dancing as an “intangible folk cultural property for which measures such as documentation should be undertaken.”

The selected date is February 12, 2002, and it is listed as a tradition located in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The Tradition of Satsuma Horse Dancing at a Glance

The Tradition of Satsuma Horse Dancing is a folk event handed down in Kagoshima Prefecture, where decorated horses and dancers move to shamisen, kane bells, and taiko drums.

The event began as a way to pray for horses’ health and fertility, and for bountiful harvests. Today, it is also offered in prayers for protection from misfortune, milestone birthdays, and business prosperity.

As the destination for offerings and the dates vary by area, check local information for the venue you plan to visit.