Kanazawa Racecourse ((exclusive)) [ 2025 ]

On this day, Kanazawa comes alive. The purse is relatively small (approx. 40 million yen to the winner), but the pride is immense. This race serves as a "Road to the Tokyo Daishoten" and occasionally produces a horse that goes on to compete in the February Stakes (G1). Kanazawa is already a major tourist destination (Kenrokuen Garden, Nagamachi Samurai District, Omicho Market). The racecourse is a fantastic "off the beaten path" half-day trip.

If you love horse racing for the sport rather than the spectacle, visit Kanazawa. You will stand ten feet from the rail as 1,000-pound thoroughbreds whip around a tight left-handed turn. You will taste local sake while holding a paper ticket worth $2. And you will witness a version of Japanese horse racing that is rapidly disappearing. kanazawa racecourse

100 yen (Yes, roughly 70 cents USD). This is the cheapest live sport in Japan. On this day, Kanazawa comes alive