Umamusume fans help restore Mejiro Ardan’s grave in China

Following renewed attention sparked by Umamusume: Pretty Derby, Mejiro Ardan’s gravestone in China has recently undergone a major upgrade to give him a resting place befitting a legend.

Mejiro Ardan was a Japanese racehorse who competed in the late 1980s before being exported to China as a stud. While he retired without a defining victory, Ardan was known for consistently placing in major races against top-tier competitors.

However, recurring leg injuries severely limited his ability to race at full strength, cutting short what many believed could have been a championship-level career. He died in 2002 and was buried in Longtou Ranch in Beijing, China, where his grave went largely unnoticed until Umamusume fans boosted its popularity.

Umamusume popularity leads to another IRL scenario

Originally, the site had a simple headstone that honored Mejiro’s legacy, but thanks to Umamusume’s global popularity, more and more fans have been visiting to pay their respects to the iconic horse.

Viral posts across social media now show how the renewed interest in Mejiro Ardan has led to the site being significantly upgraded.

As part of the renovations, there is now a stone monument inscribed with his racing record, a photo stand, a flower wall, and a place for fans to leave gifts. The surrounding area also been decked out with artificial grass and blue flowers, likely as a nod to his anime girl counterpart having blue hair.

So far, fans have been leaving flowers, gifts, and even Umamusume merchandise at his gravestone to honor the legacy of one of Japan’s most tragic racehorses.

This isn’t the only time Umamusume fans have made a real-world difference to the horses that inspired the game. They famously raised over $600,000 to rebuild stables for horse Meisho Doto and helped feed Haru Urara.