Ha-ssaku no Uma, 八朔の馬, eight-first day-of-horse, is a decorative straw horse given as good luck charms, especially to young boys on Hassaku (the first day of the eighth lunar month), which is some areas is considered to be a type of birthday celebration for boys. The Hassaku no Uma pictured above is from Ashi-ya, 芦屋, Reed-house, Kita-kyū-shū, 北九州, North-nine-states. The horse referred to as Hassaku no Uma is made of ‘white’ straw grass, or wood. One significant location that venerates the white horse is Kami-ga-mo Jin-ja,上賀茂上神社, Upper-joy-dense God-shrine. The shrine is more formally known as Ka-mo Wake-ika-zuchi Jin-ja, 賀茂別雷大神社, Joy-dense Divide-thunder Great-god Shrine, and is considered one of...