Operating Framework

There are two types of horse racing in Japan: racing by local governments at the prefectural or municipal level, or partial cooperatives formed by municipalities; and racing conducted by the Japan Racing Association (JRA).

Racing by local governments is conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, with the objective of contributing to the improvement of horse breeding, the development of the livestock industry and the support of local government finances.

There are 14 organisers of racing by local governments (two prefectures, two cities and 10 partial cooperatives) which operate 15 racecourses across 12 prefectures. Races are held almost every day of the year and in addition to daytime races, the organisers also offer night races and Ban-ei horse racing—the world’s only form of draft horse racing in which horses compete by pulling sleds.

NAR facilitates races by registering owners and horses; training and licensing trainers and jockeys; and training and dispatching race officials. It also helps to ensure the fairness of racing; coordinates and advises on race scheduling and programming; operates a betting system shared by racing organisers; and collects feedback from race organisers, implementing any adjustments and conducting joint publicity initiatives as needed.

NAR is funded through a portion of the sales revenue from each racing organiser. These funds are then divided into two types of grants: the first is used for projects aimed at the improvement of horse breeding and the promotion of the livestock industry; whilst the second is used for projects to ensure the fair and smooth operation of racing by local governments. Since 2005, NAR has also combined its grants with those received from JRA to subsidise racehorse breeding initiatives including, amongst others, the introduction of stallions, broodmares and a pedigree registration programme.