🐎 Draw a Horse with GPS Art around Ishiudonoyashiro Shrine 🗻
Ishiudonoyashiro Shrine in Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, has long been worshipped as a horse deity shrine. For centuries, people have visited this sacred place to pray for the health, safety, and strength of horses, which once played vital roles in agriculture, transportation, and warfare. Even today, the shrine is especially popular during the New Year season, making it an ideal starting point for a zodiac-themed walk.
This 22km GPS art course loops through Hofu City to create the shape of a horse on your digital map. Beginning at Ishiudonoyashiro Shrine, the course connects major local attractions such as Hofu Tenmangu Shrine, the Santoka Hometown Museum, and the Hofu Science Museum “SOLAR.” Walkers also pass Ume-Terrace, a lively community hub, as well as the Suo Kokuga Site, which marks the former provincial government center of ancient Suo Province. Historical spots like Eiunso and green spaces such as Kuwanoyama Park add depth and variety to the journey.
Hofu City is known for its relatively flat terrain and calm Seto Inland Sea climate, making it especially suitable for long walks or light running. Much of the course follows city streets and residential areas, allowing participants to enjoy GPS art without steep climbs or technical paths. This accessibility makes the course ideal for combining sightseeing, exercise, and creative mapping.
Historically, Hofu served as a political and cultural hub from ancient times, and traces of that legacy remain throughout the city. Walking this course offers not only a chance to create GPS art but also to experience the layered history of the area.
By pairing a New Year shrine visit with a GPS art walk, this course offers a meaningful and enjoyable way to welcome the year ahead. Drawing a horse—symbol of strength, vitality, and protection—adds a special touch to your first journey of the year in Hofu.
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,000 courses.
