To help guide you through the magnificent social calendar highlight of the JRA races, Inter FM will be broadcasting an exclusive coverage program which will be fun as well as informative. JRA Sound of Thoroughbred is an all-English show hosted by Tokyo-expat-scene guru Guy Perryman (pictured). In one packed hour you can enjoy some foreigner-centric info about the race, a guide for beginners, and of course, all the up-to-date breaking news about the races. The show will bring the vibrant atmosphere of the tracks to your very own drawing room. The first show this autumn will be on Sunday, October 2. From 3pm, you can tune in to coverage of Sprinters’ Stakes, the 7th leg of the Global Sprint Challenge. Other broadcasts this year will be for the Tenno Sho (the autumn Emperor Cup) on October 30, the International Invitational Japan Cup race on November 27, and the Grand Prix Arima Kinen on Christmas Day. Send in your comments and questions for the show to horse@interfm.jp.
For both fanatics and newbies to keiba (horseracing) the fun doesn’t stop there. On October 23, JRA is hosting an exclusive luxury event entitled “The Day at the Races.” Imagine yourself surrounded by the rich greenness of the VIP section, with a champagne toast and a delicious lunch followed by races from all over Japan seen on a record-breakingly huge high-definition screen. That’s worth bursting out the traps for. Check out the details from InterFM.
If you are keen on making it down to the Tokyo Racecourse instead, you won’t be disappointed. Many international folk living in Tokyo have discovered that there are few more enjoyable days out as the autumn sun beams above. Plus the races are friendly to everyone, and you’re bound to see many young couples, groups of friends, and parents with children having picnics, exploring the shops, restaurants and facilities, or getting down to some serious horse-appreciation. Entry to the racecourse is just ¥200 which gives you access to everything the Tokyo Racecourse has to offer, which is plenty.
Tokyo Racecourse Schedule
- Oct 9 Mainichi Okan (G2)
- Oct 10 Mile Championship Nambu Hai
- Oct 15 Tokyo High-Jump (J-G2)
- Oct 16 Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2)
- Oct 22 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup Fuji Stakes (G3)
- Oct 23 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (G1) (Simulcast from Kyoto)
- Oct 30 Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1)
The JRA is keen to make the races comfortable for foreigners; that’s why there’s a useful English guide available, with maps and betting instructions. Betting is as easy for the beginner as it is for the expert, and many have been known to experience a bit of “beginner’s luck” on their first visit. In any case, you can bet small sums and have all the fun without the potentially lifestyle-threatening addiction. Betting can be made easily at several machines around the ground, with step-by-step help from your pamphlet.
To watch the races, plant yourself in the stands at the very center of the racecourse, to get a 360º view of the action, or check them out on one of many huge monitors scattered about inside the grandstand building. But the easiest thing to do would be direct your eyes at the Multi-Screen Turf Vision, a 66 by 11 meter screen once recognized by Guinness as the largest display on earth.
Check out the noble animals up close at the parade ring, and even ride a horse for free at the Horse Riding Center. Kids can even race each other on toy horses in the Pakapaka Café, with other games and toys to keep the little ones happy, as well as a massive climbing frame outdoors to stretch their limbs.
So there you have it, fun for all the family. And you might even leave with your pockets pleasantly heavier too.
Access
Take the Keio line from Shinjuku station to Higashi-Fuchu and transfer to the Keio Keibajo line, getting off at Fuchu Keiba Seimon-mae station.
If your car has a GPS navigation system, you’d better keep an eye on it. According to the National Police Agency, 35,688 car navi systems were stolen in 2009. Many of these are subsequently resold, often on internet auction sites, and police are urging manufacturers to install features that would help prevent such thefts. The police are also proposing to make it mandatory to list the serial numbers when selling navigation systems online. Meanwhile, automakers are also working on the problem. Some of Toyota’s navi systems, for example, cannot be rebooted without a preset password once they’re removed from a car, and they also display the serial numbers on their screens, making it easier for police to identify the real owners.
One day, all taxis in Tokyo may look like this. Hinomaru Limousine’s Zero Taxi is the capital’s first zero-emission cab, an electric four-seater with a range of approximately 160km that can be quick-charged to 80 percent capacity in just half an hour. Eco car geeks will recognize the vehicle lurking beneath the paintwork as Mitsubishi’s i-Miev, a consumer kei car which first went on sale here last July. Hinomaru currently has two Zero Taxis operating during the daytime in the Marunouchi area, each complete with a female driver and an information display that gives the lowdown on the neighborhood.
Call 03-3212-0505 for reservations. http://hinomaru.co.jp
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