(Photo courtesy of Okinawa Zoo & Museum)

Experience some Okinawan history at the horse races coming to the Okinawa Zoo & Museum on Jan. 18.

Nʼmaharashi, or Nmaharashi, is Okinawan horse racing dating back over 300 years to the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429 – 1879).

Unlike conventional horse races, this is a match race of beauty. The jockey and horse dress up and pose beautifully while the competition is for how beautifully two horses can run over a 200-meter straight course.

The competition rules require the horses to keep a pace where the legs on the same side move together. Trotting in a good rhythm is allowed, but fast gaits such as canter and gallop are not.

According to the Okinawa Television Broadcasting (OTV), this game had its roots in horse shows to pick good ones to transport Chinese envoys and came to be adopted as a popular pastime throughout the kingdom. 

There were more than 200 horse racetracks called “baba” on the main island and remote islands. 

Although it was discontinued after an installment in 1943, it was brought back to life in 2013, thanks to the Okinawa Zoo & Museum and other local communities. 

This upcoming event on Jan. 18 will also feature Umakoku Marché, a fair for local products such as brown sugar, kamaboko (Japanese fish sausage), and other goods, a nod to the time when the horse race was not just a competition but a big festivity that brought many people together.

Why not join this Okinawan tradition and celebrate 2026, the year of the horse, with some stunning equestrian artistry?

Nʼmaharashi (Nmaharashi, Okinawan horse race)