700-year-old festival is closing in Japan (6 photos)

In Japan, there is a historical festival called Ageuma Shinji. Riders drive their horses up a steep 100-meter slope, and at the end, the horses have to jump over a two-meter embankment to the sacred Shinto shrine of Tado Taisha.





Japanese, dyed blonde, drive a horse in historical style

All this happens to the thunderous beat of drums! This spectacle has been held for 700 years, and it has very few spectators.

It looks very spectacular, and you immediately understand that these are historical competitions. Therefore, the question of when animal rights activists would want to ban it was only a matter of time. And now - they want to close Ageuma Shinji.

It's sad, because several ancient thousand-year-old festivals have already been closed recently. And all because of the aging population, which can no longer carry a stretcher across an icy river or climb a hill. And closing another festival is a terrible cultural waste.



Of course, the horses and riders are honored first

Why the stir

Last year, one of the horses was euthanized. Recently, Mie Prefectural Police sided with animal rights activists Yabuki Organization, agreeing to file animal cruelty complaints against 12 people associated with the "rising horse" festival.

The group gathered evidence through video footage and eyewitness accounts from last year's event, where a former racehorse named Merzouga had to be euthanized after falling and breaking her leg.





A rider prepares for the final jump at the end of the course

The two-day festival sees riders from six districts gallop their horses down the slope to the embankment, and then many struggle to leap into the sanctuary. Not all make it to the end of the course.

Disturbing footage captured by human rights groups shows horses being hit with sticks and ropes as they approach the obstacle to force them forward.



But you can look at the beautiful historical costumes. And the horses too

It was last year that they decided to soften the obstacles. Although the steep 100-meter slope remained, the last embankment was removed. And now - not a single horse was harmed. It would seem that a compromise was reached, but animal rights activists did not calm down.

They say that after the festival, old horses are taken to a local slaughterhouse and killed. After which some of the horse meat is sold as horse sashimi, which is considered a local delicacy, but most of it ends up as pet food.



These photos are attached as evidence of cruelty

"We know that horses are subjected to violence during training. They are kicked, punched on the head and neck, beaten with bamboo sticks. No one sees this part of the festival," said the head of the human rights activists, adding that evidence of such treatment was handed over to the police.

In previous years, the claims were simply rejected, but since they listened once and cancelled the last wave, the defenders have begun to demand more and more.



And these, they push the horse with their hands

They claim that the festival used to be just a horse ride through the city to honor them as valuable property. Traditionally, townspeople dressed in exquisite costumes came to the 1,200-year-old shrine to pay their respects and pray for a rich harvest.

But then, every year, the festival became more active for the sake of spectacle and attracting tourists.