Kamo Shrine in Imabari

A pretty rural shrine where horses are run once a year

Anonymous Nov 17, 2012 - 1 min read

Kamo Shrine in Kikuma is home to an enormous tree

The shrine is best known for its horse running festival

A magnificent bronze horse graces the shrine precinct

Horses charge up the slope beside the shrine in October

The temple steps are adorned with some fine stonework

The temple itself has an ornate roof of local tile

Kamo Shrine stands in the valley of a little river that runs down to the Seto Inland Sea at Kikuma. This territory once belonged to Kamikamo Shrine in Kyoto where horses have traditionally been raced. Farm horses are also raced here once a year, and this peaceful rural shrine echoes with the thud of horses' hooves.

Anonymous @rod.walters__archived

I was born in Bristol, England, and I came to Japan in 1991 … which means I’ve lived half my life in this island nation on the other side of the world. The theme of my career in Japan has been communication. I started as an English teacher, and moved into translation as I learned Japanese....