Inabe Shrine Ageuma Shinji (Shinto ritual of leading a horse), Mie

“Tado Festival”, a strange festival to be held in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture. “Yabusame Shinto Ritual” and “Ageuma Shinto Ritual” are the bustling events representing Tado Festival. Hundreds of thousands of spectators visit every year. It takes place on May 4 and 5 every year. “Ageuma Shinto Ritual” from the old days of the cropping season of the year, and fortunes. This “Ageuma Shinto Ritual” is called the “Well-Known Strange Festival” because it is done in a fairly unusual way.
The origin of the “Ageuma Shinto Ritual” of the Tatami festival is said to be in the early 14th century of the North and South Dynasty. At that time, it was supposed that the young warriors of the samurai who divided this area ran up the slope with a horse for testing.
However, in 1571 a war fire by Nobunaga Oda lost Shrine Records, and it was not known exactly what the origin was.
The reason why the Tado Festival is called “Well-Known Strange Festival” is “Ageuma Shinto Ritual”, but the jockey is a boy or a yang man.
The horseman rides a horse in Hakama (loose-legged pleated trousers for formal wear) in Jingasa (a soldier’s cap) on May 4th, and on May 5 he rides a horse in Hanagasa samurai outfit, and the width is 2 meters across the stairway, they run up the slope which can be said to be a precipice of about. At this time, according to the condition of the horse’s rise, it tells of how rich or how poor the harvest of the coming year.
The boy chosen by the horseman takes about one month to practice riding. With a falling horse, getting injured, and a boy who gives up a horseman appears, he keeps various hardships and comes to the day’s ritual. A superb horse race by a young boy samurai is a masterpiece.
Mikoshi’s Togyo will be performed after “Ageuma Shinto Ritual”, and finally “Yabusame Shinto Ritual” will be performed. Also, “Ageuma Shinto Ritual” was designated as an intangible folk cultural property in Mie Prefecture in 1968.

The local residents keep treating the tradition of 800 years carefully

In Japan, it is said that there are more than 200 shinto rituals related to horses. Among them, “Yabusame” (the art of shooting arrows on horseback) and “Ageuma” (the action of leading a horse), which are carried out together man-and-horse as a unit, are a brave shinto ritual with a long history unique to Japan. Moreover, in Mie prefecture “Tado Taisha shrine” and “Inabe Shrine” where these are carried out at the same time, the local residents keep treating the tradition of 800 years carefully.

In 1192 it began in accordance with the order of Minamoto no Yoritomo

In the “Oyashiro Matsuri Festival”, a Rei-taisai (regular rites and festivals) held in April, various divine works such as Yabusame, Ageuma etc. are dedicated. Among them, “Ageuma Shinji” designated as an intangible folk cultural asset in Mie prefecture is a traditional event which is 160 years old older than “Tado Taisha shrine” in the neighboring town. It is said that the year of establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate in 1192 began in accordance with the order of Minamoto no Yoritomo.

Boy jockey in the form of a warrior manipulates the horse and rushes up the slope at once

“Ageuma Shinji” will be held on the first Saturday and Sunday of every April. It is said that it began to dedicate Yabusame Shinji to inspire young people ‘s morale during the Kamakura period. “Ageuma Shinji” is the most exciting part of the traditional “Oyashiro Matsuri Festival” where both “Ageuma” and “Yabusame” shinto rituals are dedicated. Wearing a hanagasa (flower hat), a boy jockey in the form of a warrior manipulates the horse and rushes up the slope at once.

The shrine has over 1100 years history

Toin-cho town in Mie Prefecture is the area governed by Mr. Inabe who was a member of the Yamato Imperial Court. “Inabe Shrine” is an ancient temple that is settled in the former Emperor Tenmu. Although it is not clear time to establish, it is said that the shrine that has over 1100 years history and is built on the keyhole-shaped tumuli is unusual nationwide.

The power and tension deprives the viewer’s heart

“Ageuma Shinji” originally was said to be a festival of Toin-cho town which divines the fortune of the rice cultivation. The power and tension feeling that the human horse has become united deprives the viewer’s heart.

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