Festivals / First / Takahama

Takahama Omanto Matsuri

高浜おまんと祭りsay “tah-kah-hah-mah oh-mahn-toh”

Young men in festival coats run beside galloping horses and leap to hang on to them as they charge around a ring in a small town near Nagoya.

Takahama · Map ↗First Sunday of October and the day before, every year★★ Day tripHorsesFolk tradition

A young man in a blue happi coat runs alongside a galloping horse inside a fenced ring as spectators watch. — A runner clinging to a horse at the Takahama Omanto Matsuri. Photo: Nippon Matsuri Network (matsuri-stream.jp), CC BY 4.0. Source

What it is

Omanto is a horse ritual found in the Mikawa region of Aichi, offered to the kami as a prayer for good harvests. In Takahama, decorated horses are let loose to gallop around a fenced ring in the shrine grounds.

As each horse charges past, young men in happi coats and jikatabi boots run alongside, grab hold, and try to stay with it as long as they can. Many are shaken off, only to get up and try again. It is noisy, fast and full of energy.

Key dates

The festival at a glance

Date	What happens
Saturday and Sunday	Omanto: Decorated horses gallop around a fenced ring while young men try to cling to them

First visit?

Which day should you go?

Best for first-timers

Either day

Stand behind the fence of the ring for a close view of the horses and runners.

At the festival

What to look for

The horses

Horses decorated with bells and artificial flowers charge around the ring.

The runners

Young men in happi coats and split-toe boots grab hold and try to stay with the horse as long as they can.

The prayer

The festival is a prayer for good harvests and good fortune.

Getting there

Getting there & where to stay

From	How	Time
Nagoya	Meitetsu Line to Mikawa-Takahama	about 1 h

On the day. Kasuga Shrine and Yatsurugi Shrine are a short walk from Mikawa-Takahama Station. There is no parking.

Crowds. The horses run hard through a narrow course. Stay outside the barriers.

Where to stay

Our pick

Nagoya

Many hotels, about 1 hour away.

Kariya or Chiryū

Smaller cities on the way, with business hotels.

When to book. Booking 1 month ahead is usually enough.

Times are typical fastest routes. Check current timetables before you travel.

Before you go

Practical tips

Safety. Stay behind the fences. The horses move fast and close to the crowd.
Other districts. Other districts of Takahama hold their own omanto later in October.

Words you’ll hear

Glossary

Matsuri祭り

A Japanese festival, usually held for the kami of a local shrine. The word comes from the idea of serving and entertaining the gods.

Sources

References

Takahama City: Takahama festivals, https://www.city.takahama.lg.jp/soshiki/bunka/35795.html
Takahama City Tourism Association: Omanto Matsuri, https://kankou-takahama.gr.jp/event/6229/
Matsuri Stream (Nippon Matsuri Network): Takahama Omanto Matsuri.

Last checked 2026-10-13.