Tying‐up syndrome, also known as recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis in Thoroughbreds, is a common muscle disorder for racehorses. In this study, we performed a multipoint linkage analysis using LOKI based on the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method using 5 half‐sib families (51 affected and 277 nonaffected horses in total), and a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) using microsatellites (144 affected and 144 nonaffected horses) to map candidate regions for tying‐up syndrome in Japanese Thoroughbreds. The linkage analysis identified one strong L‐score (82.45) between the loci UCDEQ411 and COR058 (24.9–27.9 Mb) on ECA12. The GWAS identified two suggestive genomic regions on ECA12 (24.9–27.8 Mb) and ECA20 (29.3–33.5 Mb). Based on both results, the genomic region between UCDEQ411 and TKY499 (24.9–27.8 Mb) on ECA12 was the most significant and was considered as a candidate region for tying‐up syndrome in Japanese Thoroughbreds.