The 400-year-old custom of welcoming the arrival of spring in Izushi Castle Town, the First Day of the Horse Festival, will be held on March 15-16! Join locals in praying for a prosperous year in agriculture, business, and happiness while snacking your way through local food stalls.

Like all horse day festivals, a traditional Japanese festival with roots in the lunar calendar, Izushi’s First Day of the Horse Festival is customarily held at the local Shinto Inari Shrine, Arikoyama Inari Shrine just above the Izushi Castle Ruins.

On March 15, local children dress as fox shrine maidens in honor of Arikoyama Inari Shrine, home to fox gods, and form a procession down Mount Ariko. On March 16, a traditional “fox dance” will be held at Eirakukan Kabuki Theater.

In the days of samurai, the First Day of the Horse Festival was the only day of the year when ordinary townspeople could enter Izushi Castle’s grounds and visit Arikoyama Inari Shrine. Nowadays, locals and visitors alike are welcome to walk up the red torii-lined steps and pray at Arikoyama Inari Shrine.