After the anime Umamusume: Pretty Derby brought renewed interest, the gravestone of the legendary racehorse Mejiro Ardan in China has been significantly renovated to create a more fitting memorial.
Mejiro Ardan was a Japanese racehorse who raced in the late 1980s and later became a breeding stallion in China. Though he never achieved a major win, Ardan was consistently a strong contender in important races against the best horses.
Despite showing great promise as a racer, repeated leg injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential and ultimately ended his career prematurely. He passed away in 2002 and was buried at Longtou Ranch in Beijing, China. His gravesite remained largely unknown until fans of the game Umamusume rediscovered and began visiting it, bringing it renewed attention.
Umamusume popularity leads to another IRL scenario
Mejiro’s gravesite originally had a basic headstone. However, with the increasing worldwide popularity of Umamusume, more and more fans are now visiting to honor the famous horse.
※牧場主様から提供
メジロアルダンのお墓、競走成績を書き記した石碑など増設されているようです。
周囲には人口芝と砂利が敷かれ整備されました。— Lio(Maguri)🐈 (@LioMaguri5) January 26, 2026
Recent social media buzz around Mejiro Ardan has resulted in major improvements to the location.
They’ve really gone all out with the memorial! There’s this awesome stone monument detailing all of his racing achievements, plus a spot for pictures, a flower wall, and even a place where fans can leave gifts. The whole area’s been spruced up with fake grass and blue flowers – I’m guessing that’s a reference to his anime-inspired character’s blue hair, which is a cool touch!
A Douyin content creator, known as ‘different’, recently visited and decorated the memorial site for Mejiro Ardan. You can see photos in the video linked below. Please consider supporting their work! #Umamusume #MejiroArdan
— Ry (@RyTheWav) January 26, 2026
People are visiting the racehorse’s grave with flowers, presents, and even items from the popular game Umamusume to remember him, as he was a beloved but sadly short-lived champion in Japan.
This isn’t the first time Umamusume fans have positively impacted the real-life horses that inspired the game. Previously, they successfully raised over $600,000 to repair the stables of Meisho Doto and provided support to feed Haru Urara.
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2026-01-29 17:19