Kantachi horses grazing at the foot of Shiriyazaki Lighthouse, the northernmost point of Honshu [Higashidori Village, Aomori Prefecture]

The "Kandachime"are horses that retain the bloodline of the "Nanbu horse," a native Japanese horse breed, and are raised in pastures at Shiriyazaki, located at the eastern tip of the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean and theTsugaru Strait,Prefecture.

and a nationally registered tangible cultural property,the Shiriyazaki Lighthouse, the northernmost point of Honshucreating a picturesque landscape that has become a popular tourist spot on the Shimokita Peninsula.

The small but powerful "Kandachiuma"

The Kantachi horse is descended from the Nanbu horse, a native Japanese horse whose purebred is no longer in existence. Although it is small, it has strong legs and a sturdy build that makes it look like it would be good at doing heavy work rather than running fast

The ancestors of these horses were originally native Japanese horses known as "Nambu horses," and they have been grazing in this area since the Edo period

The horses became known when Tsutomu Iwasa, the principal of the local Shiriya Elementary and Junior High School,"In the dawn, the Kanchidachi horses neigh bravely, braving the storms of Chikushigahara."composed the following poem at the first calligraphy gathering of the year in 1970:

Since then, they have come to be known as "Kandachiuma" and have become known throughout the country. "Kandachiuma" refers to the image of horses standing in a pasture covered in snow, facing the strong cold wind

Grazing temporarily suspended due to trouble with tourists

As of 2022, there are 11 parent horses and 6 foals of the "Kandachiuma" breed. Horses were originally bred for heavy labor such as farming or for military purposes, but in modern times they are not used for farming or other purposes at all, except for horse racing and meat

The Kantachi horse was no exception, and by 1991 (Heisei 3), its numbers had dropped to just nine. Since then, local governments and other organizations have stepped up conservation efforts to prevent extinction, and by around 2020 (Reiwa 2), the number had recovered to over 30. Unfortunately, around that time, there was an increase in accidents involving tourists being kicked or bitten by the horses while they were grazing, and the management association was forced to move them to an enclosed pasture

Yomiuri Shimbun article from May 15, 2022:https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20220515-OYT1T50003/

Because the pasture is not as large as the plateau, the horses cannot be kept in a good environment without limiting the number of horses kept, so some of the horses are entrusted to farmers or privately owned. It may appear that the number of "Kantachi Horses" has decreased, but this is simply because the number of horses available for viewing has decreased. Most accidents are caused by tourists, but if improvements are made to prevent accidents, the horses will be allowed to graze as before

In addition, the cows are not allowed to graze on the plateau where the lighthouse is located in winter. They spend the winter in a pasture called "Ataka" a short distance away

Minamoto no Yoshitsune's favorite horse was the "Nambu horse"

The Nanbu horse, the ancestor of the Kantachi horse, has been mentioned in ancient documents since the Nara period. At that time,Emishi,the region north of Tohoku, known as

Therefore, the imperial court appointed Sakanoue no Tamuramaro as Seii Taishogun (Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians), and repeatedly dispatched armies to conquer the Emishi, bringing horses from those regions back to the capitals of Nara and Kyoto. These horses were larger, more beautiful in appearance and form, and had better temperaments than the horses native to the southern regions such as Kyushu that were present in the capital at the time, and"Obuchi no Koma" (horses with long tails),becoming objects of admiration for the nobility.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune rode in battles such as the Battle of Ichinotani,, the beloved horse thatwas also a horse from Obuchi.

The Nanbu clan improved the Nanbu horse to be an excellent military horse

After the Nanbu clan began to rule what is now Iwate Prefecture and the eastern part of Aomori Prefecture, they built ranches for the domain and worked to improve horses, producing excellent military horses

Furthermore, farmers"magari-ya" (a type of traditional Japanese house)and, instead of farm horses, took in and carefully raised warhorses, contributing to the improvement of horse breeds.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The "Nambu Magariya" is a unique residence of the Nanbu clan, which was well aware of the importance of horses [Iwate Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/10445

"Magariya" (magariya) are unique, humane dwellings built with stables built within the home for co-living. Many unique magariya (magariya) houses, known as "Nambu magariya," were built in the Edo period north of Kanto, particularly in Iwate Prefecture. "Kyukawamae Shimeya" (former Kawamae Shimeya) was built at the end of the Edo period. "Tono Furusato Village." Image courtesy of Iwate Prefecture Tourism Association. Horses were raised in the warm main house all day, even in the cold and snow of winter. Many old houses with L-shaped thatched roofs remain throughout the Tohoku region. They are called "magariya" (magariya), and the names may vary slightly depending on the region, including "Kagariya," "Kagariya," "Magariya," "Magariya," and "Magariya.".

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The Edo shogunate also considered horses to be an important military asset,and the 3rd shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and the 8th shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune entrusted Persian horses (Arabian breed) to the Nanbu domain, and the "Nanbu horse" continued to be improved as a military horse.

Even after the Meiji period, the Nanbu horses were crossbred with foreign horses for military purposes, and some horses were born that were fast enough to be used as racing horses, but the pure Nanbu horse bloodline was lost

The "Kandachiuma" was a farm horse developed from the military horse Tanabe

On the Shimokita Peninsula,"Tanabu horse," whichthere was a relatively small military horse called thewas improved by crossbreeding with horses from Mongolia and Russia.

In the Shiriya area, the Tanabe horse was crossbred with the Breton, a large meat breed native to France, and bred for farming and meat purposes. This resulted in the Kandachi horse

The "Kandachi Horse" is not a wild horse. It is a precious horse with the bloodline of the "Nambu Horse" and is carefully protected and raised by Higashidori Village and other areas. The "Kandachi Horse" has been designated as a natural monument of Aomori Prefecture

Shiriyazaki Lighthouse protects maritime traffic in the Tsugaru Strait

, having begun operation in 1876 (Meiji 9)Japan's tallest brick lighthouse.

Standing approximately 33 meters tall, it was the first Western-style lighthouse in the Tohoku regionof Japan. Furthermore, Cape Shiriya is a difficult point for maritime traffic due to the complex currents where the Tsugaru Strait and the Pacific Ocean meet, and it is an area where dense fog frequently occurs, making it the site of Japan's first foghorn.

Furthermore, in 1901 (Meiji 34),the first electric arc lamp in Japan was installed, boasting an exceptional brightness for the Meiji era.the only lighthouse in Japan that was hit by a meteoriteIt is also recorded as

The Shiriyazaki Lighthouse isa nationally registered tangible cultural propertyand is recognized as a "Modern Industrial Heritage Site" and a "Civil Engineering Heritage Site Recommended by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers." The interior is open for viewing.

NORIJUN

My love of travel led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts