The Yonaguni pony. One of the eight pony breeds native to Japan

Yonaguni horse

Meet Sanpin-chan on Kohama island. He's one of the endangered Yonaguni Japanese breed ponies. It's one of the eight pony breeds native to Japan. Yonaguni horses have a very gentle and thoughtful character. If you have the opportunity to travel to Yonaguni island, you'll meet them free almost everywhere around the island. Such a lovely thing to see.

As more things on Yonaguni island are mysterious, the whole island has a mythical, rough atmosphere, the Yonaguni horse is in harmony with the island. The ponies origins are a mystery. Gladly they are now carefully kept, while in history they were used in agriculture. When farming became mechanized the horses were less important for that purpose. Their numbers decreased. Today they are an important cultural asset by the Yaeyama islands.