An Interactive Spot for Experiencing Horse Culture, Playgrounds, and History
A community hub in Towada City where you can interact with horses and learn about history
Towada City once thrived as a breeding ground for Nanbu horses and played an important role in Japan’s equine history, even housing a military horse supply station during the Meiji era. Today, the facility that preserves and shares that heritage is Towada Horse Park – Komakko Land.
This facility, themed as a “Horse and Human Exchange Resort,” offers hands-on horse-related experiences and is loved by visitors of all ages. Within the park, you’ll find Komakko Farm, where guests can feed and ride horses, as well as large playground equipment with horse motifs, a Community Hall featuring local product exhibitions and sales, and comfortable rest areas—making it a fun-filled destination for families.
In addition, the Shotokukan, a cultural archive and museum within the park, allows visitors to deeply explore Towada’s unique horse culture. Exhibits include video presentations of the traditional performing art Nanbu Koma-odori (Nanbu Horse Dance) from the Nanbu region, as well as valuable historical artifacts.
Shotokukan – A Cultural Archive Exploring the Deep Bonds Between Horses and Humans
Located within Towada Horse Park – Komakko Land, Shotokukan is a cultural museum that introduces the multifaceted relationship between horses and people. Towada City has long been known as a major breeding area for Nanbu horses. The region developed alongside horses, and this facility was established to preserve and share that history and culture with future generations.
Inside the museum, you’ll find several specialized exhibition rooms:
- Kihokukan: Focuses on the history of horses in the Tohoku region.
- Horse Gear Museum: Displays around 5,000 historical horse-related items, such as saddles from the Muromachi period, horse masks from the Momoyama period, bits, jingling bells, and samurai horse equipment.
- Toy Museum: Exhibits horse-themed toys and stamps collected from around the world.
- Ema Hall: Features decorative ema (votive wooden plaques) with unique regional characteristics from across Japan.
- Faith and Beliefs Hall: Showcases traditions and folk beliefs involving horses, such as horse guardian deities, straw horses, stable monkeys, symbolic paper talismans, and miniature Nanbu ema.
- Literature Archive: Holds rare books and documents related to equine medicine, Japanese riding techniques, and horse-related rituals.
- Folklore Theater: A reconstructed farm-style space where visitors can enjoy folklore videos in high definition and live storytelling performances.
- Special Exhibition Hall – 1st Floor: Displays local historical and cultural materials, including a horseback riding simulator for hands-on experience.
- Special Exhibition Hall – 2nd Floor: Features horse-themed crafts and artworks. From the adjacent craft salon, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Towada City.
On weekends, storytelling sessions are held live by professional narrators, providing a deeper, more engaging way to learn about the rich history and culture of horses and humans.
Shotokukan serves as both an educational and inspirational destination that conveys the deep connection between Towada’s people and horse heritage.
