The Kakeuma Shinto ritual, in which acrobatic feats are performed on galloping horses, was held on May 5, 2026, at Fujinomori Shrine in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City. When the spectacular man-and-horse stunts were successfully executed, applause and cheers erupted from the worshippers filling the shrine grounds.
The Kakeuma Shinto ritual, a Kyoto City Intangible Folk Cultural Property, originates from 781, when Prince Sawara prayed for victory at Fujinomori Shrine before departing for Mutsu Province. The Kakeuma Preservation Society, composed of parishioners, performs the ritual every May, and they said, "This year, the Year of the Horse, we prepared with even more enthusiasm than usual."
The men, called Noriko, perform their feats in less than 10 seconds as they gallop along the approximately 180-meter-long approach to the shrine. In the "Fuji-sagari" (Wisteria Descent) ritual, where the rider pretends to be hit by an arrow, he hangs upside down, supported by one leg, drawing particularly loud applause. In the "Ichiji-gaki" (One-Character Writing) ritual, where a character is written while on horseback, the rider wrote the two characters for "Aoba" (Blue Horse), as requested by a high-value donor in the crowdfunding campaign supporting the Shinto ritual.
Prior to the race, a "Children's Procession" was held on the approach to the shrine, and for the first time, girls participated, reflecting the growing social trend towards gender equality.
