Umamusume and Retired Horses: The Case of Nice Nature

A story sparking curiosity about its real-life counterparts can have consequences beyond the screen. In the case of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, one of the clearest connections involves the racehorses that inspired its characters and the organizations that care for them once their athletic careers come to an end.

A Campaign That Predates the Phenomenon

The Retired Horse Association of Japan documents on its Nice Nature page the birthday campaigns and, later, the memorial campaigns dedicated to the horse. It is important to preserve that chronology: support for the animals did not begin as a promotional campaign for a video game.

The 2024 edition raised 74,889,338 yen, according to the balance published by the association itself at the end of the campaign, held between April 16 and May 15. The organization explained that the contributions would allow it to continue supporting more retired horses. The statement offers a verifiable figure, rather than an estimate converted to dollars without an exchange-rate date.

What Relationship Can Be Established with the Fandom

Umamusume is a gateway to learning names, careers, and rivalries in Japanese horse racing. That interest can lead to following the lives of the real animals or seeking ways to support them. But a total amount raised does not make it possible to attribute each donation to a player or to calculate how much the association would have received without the franchise's success.

The distinction matters because it avoids turning a story of support into a causal claim that its figures do not demonstrate. The cultural connection is interesting in its own right: discovering a character can end in learning what an animal needs after competing.

How to Verify an Initiative Before Contributing

Look for the page of the organization running the campaign, identify who is responsible for it, and review its activity reports. It is worth distinguishing between the money announced at the close of the fundraiser, the amounts received afterward, and the expenses of each fiscal year: these are not interchangeable figures.

The association maintains information on the successive editions. Consulting it makes it possible to follow the project's continuity and avoids circulating old calls for donations as if they were still open.

Originally published on Anitsu by Valeria Quispe. Text reviewed and updated for DonOtaku on November 5, 2026; the original publication date is preserved.