Horse Race in Kamo

Japanese horse racing, called kurabe uma or koma kurabe, is a tradition often illustrated in traditional Japanese painting. The race shown here at Kamigamo Shrine is especially famous and continues to take place each year on May 5th in Kamo, Kyoto. In portrayals of Japanese horse races, a red horse is generally on the left and a black horse is on the right. Here, TAKATORI Wakanari depicts the Kamo race in the Heian period (794-1185). What makes these types of paintings so engaging is the opportunity to appreciate a diverse gathering of spectators of varying social classes. Scenes in which people must unavoidably intermingle regardless of social class — such as sheltering from the rain or riding a ferry — are a recurring trope in Japanese paintings.