🐎 Horse-Shaped GPS Art Around Shizuoka Sengen Shrine 🗻
This 19km GPS art course invites you to trace the shape of a horse across the historic core of Shizuoka City, beginning at the revered Shizuoka Sengen Shrine. Within the shrine grounds stands a wooden white sacred horse statue, believed to have been dedicated by Tokugawa Iemitsu. Known affectionately as the “Kanae-uma,” or “Wish-Granting Horse,” the statue has long been revered by local worshippers who visit seeking blessings and the fulfillment of heartfelt prayers. Its presence lends a special sense of good fortune to a New Year’s pilgrimage.
The route guides you through the cultural and historical heart of Shizuoka. You will pass the Shizuoka City Museum of History and the Shizuoka Museum of Modern Art, both offering glimpses into the region’s deep past and artistic heritage. Moving through the area around Shin-Shizuoka Station, the course immerses you in the city’s modern pulse before continuing on to key civic landmarks such as the Shizuoka City Hall, the Central Library, and the Shizuoka City Cultural Hall. These locations highlight the city’s blend of tradition and contemporary urban life.
A major highlight of the course is the expansive Sunpu Castle Park, the former site of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s stronghold. The park’s moats, gates, and reconstructed structures evoke the atmosphere of the Edo period, while its open lawns and seasonal greenery offer a peaceful contrast to the urban surroundings. Nearby Tokiwa Park adds another layer of natural beauty as you progress along your horse-shaped route.
As you walk, the streets of Shizuoka become your canvas, weaving together elements of faith, culture, and history. The journey reveals how the old castle town has transformed into a modern city while still preserving the traces of the Tokugawa legacy.
Combining a creative GPS art adventure with a traditional shrine visit, this 19km course offers an uplifting and memorable way to begin the New Year—one step at a time, drawing a horse that symbolizes strength, progress, and good fortune.
TOURISTS SPOT
- Shizuoka Sengen Shrine
- Shizuoka City Museum of History
- Shizuoka Modern Art Museum
- Shizuoka Station
- Shin-Shizuoka Station
- Shizuoka City Central Library
- Lifelong Learning Center of Shizuoka City
- Shizuoka City Culture Hall
- Shizuoka City government office
- Sumpu Castle Park
- Johoku Park
- Tokiwa Park
- Sakurayu Public Bath
REFFERENCE
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.
