🐎 Horse-Shaped GPS Art Walk Around Onma Shrine 🗻
This 8-kilometer GPS art walking course in southern Kanazawa City offers a meaningful New Year experience by tracing the shape of a horse—the zodiac animal—around Onma Shrine (Hisayasu). As you walk through quiet neighborhoods and sacred sites, your GPS trail gradually forms a horse on the map, symbolizing strength, protection, and good fortune for the year ahead.
Kanazawa is home to two Onma Shrines, located in Hisayasu and Aima-machi. Both have long been revered as shrines connected to horses and are deeply rooted in local history. The Onma Shrine in Hisayasu was once the guardian shrine of an area historically known as Minma-go, meaning “the land of three horses.” In times when horses were essential for farming, transportation, and daily life, people prayed here for safety, prosperity, and gratitude toward these animals. The Onma Shrine in Aima-machi is believed to have been established as a branch shrine, enshrining a divided spirit from the Hisayasu shrine.
The GPS art course begins at Onma Shrine (Hisayasu) and continues through Takahata Shrine and Noma Shrine—small yet culturally significant places of worship that reflect the spiritual fabric of the community. The course then opens up toward Fushimigawa Sports Park, where wide riverbanks and greenery provide a refreshing contrast to the residential streets. Walking alongside the Fushimi River allows visitors to enjoy seasonal scenery and a slower pace of life distinct from Kanazawa’s busy city center.
Historically known as the castle town of the Kaga Domain, Kanazawa is famous for its samurai districts and traditional arts. Yet beyond the well-known tourist areas, neighborhoods like Hisayasu preserve everyday traditions and local faith. By completing this horse-shaped GPS artwork, walkers not only celebrate the zodiac but also connect with a quieter, more intimate side of Kanazawa’s cultural landscape.
This gentle 8 km course is ideal for a New Year walk, combining light exercise, storytelling, and digital creativity. The finished GPS art serves as a lasting memory—an emblem of renewal and a heartfelt wish for a strong and steady year ahead.
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 2,500 works.
