It is believed that the horses in Japan were the descendants of the animals arriving from the continent about 18 to 35 thousand years ago, when the level of the ocean was much, much lower, and there was a land connections between the islands and the continent.

Domesticated since ancient times, in Japan the horses were highly valued animals, used exclusively by warriors. They were never used for agricultural works, and even among the samurai class, only the high ranking warriors were having horses.

Kyoto Jidai Matsuri parade, Kyoto

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Shinto Shrines, Chinju no mori