Changes promised to Japan’s ‘Rising Horses’ ritual

A controversial horse festival in Japan has promised changes in line with animal welfare after being accused of animal cruelty. At the Ageuma Shinji, or Rising Horses, festival young men dressed as warriors ride horses up a steep hill and over a high mud wall at a Shinto shrine in the city of Kuwana in Mie Prefecture.

Japan’s Spy Buildup Faces Obstacles

Japan’s efforts to re-arm in response to escalating threats from China and North Korea are well-known. Less understood are controversial efforts by some in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP …