The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba (中央競馬 Central horse racing) and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training facilities. It was founded in 1954, according to the Horse Racing Law (競馬法 Keiba Hō) and the Japan Racing Association Law (日本中央競馬会法 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai Hō) and is operated under the strict oversight of the

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan) The is a cabinet level ministry in the government of Japan responsible for oversight of the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries. Its acronym is MAFF. The current Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is Taku Etō. History ...

Facilities

Racecourse A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

s (競馬場 Keiba Jō) - All racecourses have one oval dirt course inside and one or two turf courses outside. Some have also jump courses. Only three (Tokyo, Niigata and Chukyo) are left-handed (counter-clockwise) and the others are right-handed (clockwise). **

Tokyo Racecourse is located in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750. Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) r ...

( Fuchu, Tokyo) **

Nakayama Racecourse is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. It is used for horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for co ...

(

Funabashi, Chiba is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 644,668 in 309,238 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . It is the Greater Tokyo Area's 7th most populated city (after ...

) **

Kyoto Racecourse is located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 120,000. It was built in 1999. History Kyoto Race Course opened on December 1, 1925. In preparation for the track's 100th anniversary, ...

(

Kyoto, Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the cit ...

) **

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and it is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After the World War II, GH ...

( Takarazuka, Hyogo) **

Sapporo Racecourse is located in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It was built in 1907 for horse racing use. It has 12,000 seats, with a capacity of 30,000. Sapporo Racecourse hosts one GII (Grade 2) race, the Sapporo Kinen. Physical attributes Main turf c ...

(

Sapporo, Hokkaido ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous cit ...

) **

Hakodate Racecourse is a horse racing track in Hakodate, Japan, built in 1896. During the period between 2008 and 2009, Hakodate Racecourse was closed for renovation and refurbishment of the grandstand. Work was completed in June 2010. As part of this refurbishment, ...

(

Hakodate, Hokkaido is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.83 ...

) ** Fukushima Racecourse (

Fukushima, Fukushima is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It is located in the northern part of the Nakadōri, central region of the prefecture. , the city has an estimated population of 283,742 in 122,130 households and a population density of . The ...

) ** Niigata Racecourse (

Niigata, Niigata is a city located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture (). It is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, and one of the cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, located in the Chūbu region of Japan. It ...

) **

Chukyo Racecourse is located in Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. It is used for horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for com ...

(

Toyoake, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 69,525 in 30,185 households, and a population density of 2,994 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Toyoake is located in the coastal f ...

) ** Kokura Racecourse (

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one of ...

) * Off course betting facilities "WINS", "Light WINS" and "EXCEL" (about 40 locations around the country).The race course without racing will be an off course betting facilities named "Park WINS". ** Admission fee is collected at the racecourses where the race is held, but not at "Park WINS" where the race is not held.However, reserved seats are charged. ** "WINS" and "Light WINS" can be entered by anyone over the age of 20 who can purchase betting tickets, but "Excel" is not admitted until the membership registration is completed. ** Some "WINS" have an "EXCEL Floor" with reserved seats. This is not a membership system, but an admission fee is required. ** "Light WINS" is a facility that reduces running costs and initial costs, so the facility is small. There is no display to show the race broadcast or get various information. ** There is also an off course betting facilities operated by racecourses belonging to the

National Association of Racing The National Association of Racing ( ja, 地方競馬全国協会 ''Chiho Keiba Zenkoku Kyokai'', or NAR) is the authority for horse races operated by local governments in Japan (Prefectures, cities/towns/villages or unions of them). NAR itself do ...

, but betting tickets for Japan Racing Association may also be sold here. * Training Centers ** Miho Training Center (

Miho, Ibaraki is a village located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 14,504 in 5907 households and a population density of 218 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 32.0%. The total area of ...

) ** Ritto Training Center ( Ritto, Shiga) * Horseracing School (

Shiroi, Chiba is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 63,190 in 26,204 households and a population density of 1800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The name of the city comes from the word for ...

) * Equine Research Institute (

Utsunomiya, Tochigi is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its ''gyoza'' ...

) * Equestrian Park (

Setagaya, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. The ward calls itself Setagaya City in English. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the fringed orch ...

) * Hidaka Yearling Training Farm ( Urakawa, Hokkaido) * Miyazaki Yearling Training Farm (

Miyazaki, Miyazaki is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1924. As of July 2022, the city had an estimated population of 399,788 and a population density of 621 persons per km2. The total area ...

) * Gate J. (promotion centers, Shimbashi,

Minato, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits t ...

and Umeda,

Osaka, Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

)

Grade I Races

Two-year-olds

* The

Hanshin Juvenile Fillies The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (阪神ジュベナイルフィリーズ) is a one-mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred fillies two years old. It is considered the ''de facto'' year-end championship for Japanese thoroughbred racing in the two-year-o ...

(阪神ジュベナイルフィリーズ), Hanshin, Turf 1600m (for Fillies) * The

Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (朝日杯フューチュリティステークス) is a one mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred colts two years old. It is considered the ''de facto'' year-end championship for Japanese thoroughbred racing in the tw ...

(朝日杯フューチュリティステークス), Hanshin, Turf 1600m (for Colts and Fillies) * The

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

(ホープフルステークス), Nakayama, Turf 2000m (for Colts and Fillies)

Three-year-olds

* The

Oka Sho The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan. The race is restricted to three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies and is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) at the Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyōgo in April. It w ...

(桜花賞, "The Japanese 1000 Guineas"), Hanshin, Turf 1600m (for Fillies) * The

Satsuki Sho Satsuki is a traditional Japanese name for the month of . It is commonly used as a feminine given name and, more rarely, as a surname or a masculine name. Possible spellings Satsuki can be spelled using different ''kanji'' characters and can mean: ...

(皐月賞, "The Japanese 2000 Guineas"), Nakayama, Turf 2000m (for Colts and Fillies) * The

NHK Mile Cup The NHK Mile Cup () is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies, run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately one mile) on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse in May. The NHK Mile Cup is sponsored ...

, Tokyo, Turf 1600m (for Colts and Fillies) * The

Yushun Himba The , also known as the is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race for three-year-old thoroughbred fillies run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 furlongs) at the Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchū, Tokyo in May. History It was first run ...

(優駿牝馬, "The Japanese Oaks"), Tokyo, Turf 2400m (for Fillies) * The

Tokyo Yushun Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

(東京優駿, "The Japanese Derby"), Tokyo, Turf 2400m (for Colts and Fillies) * The

Shuka Sho Shuka ( sa, शुक , also Shukadeva ) is a rishi (sage) in Hinduism. He is the son of the sage Vyasa and the main narrator of the scripture ''Bhagavata Purana''. Most of the ''Bhagavata Purana'' consists of Shuka reciting the story to the ...

(秋華賞, Triple Tiara Final Round), Kyoto, Turf 2000m (for Fillies) * The Kikuka Sho (菊花賞, "The Japanese St. Leger"), Kyoto, Turf 3000m (for Colts and Fillies)

Three (or Four) -year-olds and up

Turf 1600m or less

* The

Takamatsunomiya Kinen The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at Chukyo Racecourse in late March. The forerunner of this race was the . It was started ...

(高松宮記念), Chukyo, Turf 1200m * The

Victoria Mile The Victoria Mile () is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbred fillies and mares run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse in May. Winners See also * Hors ...

, Tokyo, Turf 1600m (for Fillies and Mares) * The

Yasuda Kinen The Yasuda Kinen (English: Yasuda Memorial, Japanese and Chinese language: 安田記念) is a Japanese International Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at the Tokyo Racecourse in Tokyo. Raced annually each June, the Yasuda Kinen is run at a di ...

(安田記念), Tokyo, Turf 1600m * The

Sprinters Stakes The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan open to thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at Nakayama Racecourse, and it takes place annually in late September or earl ...

( Global Sprint Challenge Round 8 of 10), Nakayama, Turf 1200m * The

Mile Championship The Mile Championship is an International Grade I flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) on the turf at Kyoto Racecourse in November. It was first run in 198 ...

, Kyoto, Turf 1600m

Turf 1800m and over

* The

Osaka Hai is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

(大阪杯), Hanshin, Turf 2000m * The Tenno Sho (Spring) (天皇賞・春, the Emperor's Cup), Kyoto, Turf 3200m * The

Takarazuka Kinen The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds where they run over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately miles) at Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場) in late June. It i ...

(宝塚記念), Hanshin, Turf 2200m * The Tenno Sho (Autumn) (天皇賞・秋, the Emperor's Cup), Tokyo, Turf 2000m * The

Queen Elizabeth II Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April at a distance of 2,000 metres (ten ...

(renamed from the ''Q. E. II Commemorative Cup''), Kyoto, Turf 2200m (for Fillies and Mares) * The

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions wi ...

(International Invitational), Tokyo, Turf 2400m * The

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

(有馬記念, "The (Nakayama) Grand Prix"), Nakayama, Turf 2500m

Dirt course

* The

February Stakes The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 8 furlongs) at Tokyo Racecourse in late February. It was first run in 1984 as February Handicap, and wa ...

, Tokyo, Dirt 1600m * The Champions Cup (renamed from the ''Japan Cup Dirt''), Chukyo, Dirt 1800m

Steeple-chase (J. GI)

* The

Nakayama Grand Jump The Nakayama Grand Jump (中山グランドジャンプ) is a Japanese horse racing steeplechase, held at Nakayama Racecourse every year in mid-April. It is for thoroughbreds, four years old and older, run at a distance of 4250m (2 5/8 miles + 84 ...

, Nakayama, Turf 4250m * The Nakayama Daishogai, Nakayama, Turf 4100m

External links

Web Site
{{Authority control Horse racing organizations in Japan 1954 establishments in Japan