TOKYO RACE TRACK (JRA) 
One of the most surprising things about the JRA Tokyo racecourse is the feeling of space. Granted, the place is right on the western outskirts of the prefecture, but Tokyo is Tokyo, and one expects things to be more confined due to the built-up areas surrounding the capital. Perhaps the fact that you can see mountains off to the right of the track (including a nice view of Mount Fuji), combined with wide walkways and clever landscaping, hiding buildings beyond the paddock area, gives a stronger impression of being well outside city limits.

The first Tokyo Keiba track was situated in Meguro, opening for business in 1907, but as the area became more urbanized, it was moved to cheaper land in Fuchu City. The new track was duly opened in November 1933, but it does at least explain the existence of the Meguro Kinen race.

A dirt course was added in 1961, and the facility was overhauled seven years later, with improvements to the stands and a new rail link put in place. A second major refurbishment was started in 2000, with modifications to the track also included - gentler curves made the racing much safer. The bulk of the work was finished in the spring of 2003, although the glass panel we mentioned earlier, allowing people to see the winner's stalls, wasn't added until 2005.

The track is arranged in a series of ovals, one inside the other. The turf course is closest to the stands, with an incline up to the finishing post, and two length options off to the right. The simple oval dirt track runs inside that, with another track of a similar shape laid out with grass and hedges for steeplechasing. The stands are huge (when crowds approaching 200,000 turn up for the big races, they have to be!), and the site also houses the JRA Museum, which we'll talk about separately.