Crime & Courts

12 Sent to Prosecutors Over Japan’s Horse-Driving Ritual; 2023 Accident During ‘Ageuma Shinji’ at Mie Pref. Shrine Said to Be Result of Animal Cruelty

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
A participant in the ageuma shinji ritual drives a horse on an improved slope in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on May 4.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:37 JST, September 24, 2024

The Mie prefectural police on Tuesday sent to prosecutors the cases of about 12 people who engaged in an annual Shinto ritual involving driving horses on suspicion of violation of the Law on Welfare and Management of Animals.

The police sent the cases to the Tsu District Public Prosecutors Office due to the fact that a horse used in the ritual last year suffered a broken bone in one leg and was eventually euthanized.

The accident occurred during a traditional ritual called “ageuma shinji,” held at Tado Taisa shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture.

An animal welfare organization in Tokyo alleged in October last year that organizers of the ritual forced the horse to run up a very steep slope, resulting in the horse falling down. The organization proceeded to file a criminal complaint against the ritual organizers over this.

This year’s ageuma shinji ritual was held in May, after organizers had removed a clay wall about two meters high, made the slope less steep and scattered sand over it.

The ageuma shinji ritual is believed to date back to the Nanbokucho period (1336-1392). Now it is an intangible cultural heritage asset for Mie Prefecture.