JRA MUSEUM
Close to the east gate at the Tokyo (Fuchu) track is a modern building housing the JRA Museum. I only got to see a fraction of it on this first trip across, as it would probably take a day to do the place justice. Opened in 1991, it contains all manner of memorabilia, and not just from Japan - there are a number of artifacts from foreign lands to cover all the great racing nations of the world.

I'm going to have to go back one day, but I thought it was worth mentioning that there's a small exhibition on HM the Queen's long and dedicated involvement in racing, with some super photographs, and even a set of her distinctive silks next to a caricature of the ever-jovial Willie Carson - in my eyes, one of the few men that could compete with Lester Piggott on equal terms, whilst being completely the opposite in character.

There's pictures of the great horses belonging to the Queen's ancestors, like Persimmon, and some classics of her own, such as Highclere, which I remember Joe Mercer riding to victory in the 1974 1000 Guineas. In addition, there are a couple of shots that show just what a fine rider the Queen herself is, and that's an angle very few would know about in Japan. Some, who should know what they're talking about, have also said she would have made an excellent trainer had she taken up the trade. Of course, she already had a job in a rather different field, and, sadly, ruling an Empire does tend to take up one's time, so no chance of doing a bit of training as a hobby either!

This particular exhibition, on a subject very close to my heart, opened earlier in the month, and runs until the 25th November. For those like myself, with a deep respect for the Queen, it's a chance to see something you're not likely to see again in Japan, while pure race fans might be surprised to see the joy on her face watching events unfold on the turf, or the bloodlines in horses they follow that can be traced back to the Royal stables. Entrance is free on race days, or a modest 200 yen otherwise.