"Horse Rock" in Nishiizu Town, Shizuoka, looks like a horse in profile, with pine trees along the cliff swaying like a flowing mane. (©Sankei by Ryosuke Kawaguchi)
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The year 2026 is the Year of the Horse. In Nishiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, overlooking Suruga Bay, stands an auspicious rock cliff known as "Horse Rock."
A hollow in the rock forms what looks like a narrowed eye, while dark staining near the base suggests a nose. Seen from the side, the outline gradually comes into focus as a horse lowering its head to drink water. Pine trees clinging to the steep ridge sway in the sea breeze, resembling a flowing mane.
The Izu Peninsula was formed about one million years ago, when an undersea volcano collided with Honshu, Japan's main island, as a result of tectonic plate movements. Intense volcanic activity produced a wide variety of landforms, and the region has since been designated a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Born of Fire
Koganezaki, where Horse Rock is located, was also shaped by volcanic forces. Its yellowish-white rock face was created when minerals in the stone were altered by geothermal heat. Writer Yukio Mishima likened it in his novel The Frolic of the Beasts to a single, smooth sheet of gold.
"Back then, it looked more like a donkey than a horse," says Takekichi Asaga, 71, a local resident and geopark guide born in the Year of the Horse. In 1989, part of the rock, from what would be the "forehead" to the "nose," collapsed, giving it a cleaner outline and making its horse-like shape more distinct.
Lucky Charms
The name "Horse Rock" was adopted during the previous Year of the Horse in 2014. Hoping to turn it into a popular attraction, the local chamber of commerce invited nickname submissions from across Japan before settling on the current name.
After rumors spread that a visitor later won a horse-racing bet, the group began selling good-luck items, including ema prayer plaques for racing victories and horse-themed cookies.
Today, the observation deck overlooking Horse Rock is lined with plaques bearing the wishes of horse-racing fans, with messages such as "May I win a GⅠ race" and "Hit the jackpot." Nobuyuki Nagakura from Tokyo, who stopped by while traveling, took photos and said, "It really does look like a horse. I might not print many, but I will use photos of it on my New Year's cards."
With the Year of the Horse approaching, Asaga says locals are discussing plans for special events. Sculpted by the forces of the Earth, the dramatic cliff is poised to bring fresh energy to the area in the year ahead.
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Author: Kazuya Kamogawa, The Sankei Shimbun
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