A 1,600-Year First: Miracle Baby Sacred Horse Born at Hiratsuka Hachimangu Shrine
Hiratsuka Hachimangu Shrine in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, has announced a joyous event that is exceptionally rare in the shrine's long history. For the first time in recorded history—dating back over 1,600 years—a baby "Shinme" (sacred horse) has been born on the shrine grounds, sparking a massive wave of excitement on social media. The newcomer is a female foal named Yae. She was born on April 14th to mother Satsuki and father Kochi, both of whom are beloved by worshippers as the shrine's resident sacred horses. Coincidentally, this event occurred during the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac, leading many to call it "a gift from the gods" and a "miraculous blessing." While Hiratsuka Hachimangu is an ancient shrine said to have been established during the reign of Emperor Nintoku, there are no existing records of a sacred horse ever being born within the sanctuary. This unprecedented birth has brought immense surprise and joy to shr...