Event

Japan has so many strange, eccentric and exciting festivals every year that it is sometimes difficult to keep track. However, few festivals are exciting and dramatic as Ageuma-Shinji, held every year in Tado, Mie. Also known as Tado Festival, Ageuma-Shinji has been held in this sleepy little town since the Nanboku-chō period (1336 to 1392) and is an incredible spectacle that sees powerful horses charged down the high street to predict the next harvest. Confused? Perhaps I should explain. About Tado Festival Though the festival takes place on May 4 and 5 each year, preparations commence a month before, when six local boys, between the ages of 16 and 19 are selected as divine representatives of their village, and they begin their Shojin Kessai, a month-long ritual during which they will abstain from eating meat. Finally, the first day of the festival arrives. Down the length of Tado’s main street right up to Tado Shrine are built two long platforms from which spectators can watch the drama (and though it costs between 1,500 and 4,000 JPY to take a place on the platform, it is highly recommended, though arriving early to find a spot is a good idea). The space between…