KEIRIN is a professional bicycle race that originated in Japan, where participants compete at speeds of up to 70km/h. Just watching the race is exciting, but you can also enjoy a "sports betting experience" where you can take part in predicting the order of finish for as little as 100 yen.
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Hello! This is the Kawasaki City Tourism Association. We will introduce the charms of Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, that will make you want to visit the city. ◆About Kawasaki City◆ Kawasaki City is a popular commuter town with 1.54 million people, located in Kanagawa Prefecture next to Tokyo, 15 minutes from Haneda Airport, a few minutes from Tokyo's major stations, and close to Yokohama, Kamakura, and Hakone. It is a big city close to Tokyo and Yokohama, but only known to those in the know, with shopping centers where Japan's main shops are gathered together and downtown areas where locals gather, allowing you to experience the real urban life of Japan. It is famous for its factory night view born from the industrial area that supported Japan's high economic growth, but it also flourished as one of the "Tokaido Fifty-three Stations", a post town on the "Tokaido", the main artery from Tokyo to Kyoto that was developed by the shogun who founded the Edo Shogunate, and is home to Kawasaki Daishi, which is visited by one of the largest worshippers in Japan on New Year's visits, and the Japanese Folk House Museum, which has 25 old houses designated as cultural properties. The museum of the popular anime "Doraemon" is also popular. Here are some popular tourist spots and events. ◇Kawasaki City Factory Night View This industrial area supported Japan's high economic growth period. At night, the factories that operate 24 hours a day turn on their work lights in the plants and transform into a fantastical world studded with jewels. You can experience this "factory night view" on a bus tour or a houseboat cruise tour. ◇Ikuta Green Space Although it is located in a city just a few minutes from Tokyo, it has a spectacular natural environment including rows of metasequoia trees. At the Japanese Folk House Garden, you can experience 25 old houses designated as cultural properties, and you can experience indigo dyeing, which has been traditionally practiced in this area, and there is also an art museum of Taro Okamoto, a popular avant-garde artist. You can also enjoy cherry blossoms in the spring. ◇Fujiko F. Fujio Museum, Kawasaki The museum displays original drawings by Fujiko F. Fujio, the manga artist who created Doraemon, a manga beloved around the world, especially in Asia, as well as the desk that Fujiko F. Fujio actually used. In addition, life-size items are installed, and you can actually eat the food that appears in the work, so you can enter the world of the work. ◇Kawasaki Sanno Festival The largest festival in the Kawasaki area, held every August at Inage Shrine, is a highlight of the festival, with a large portable shrine procession. ◇Kanamara Festival A festival at Kanayama Shrine held on the first Sunday of April. A portable shrine shaped like a penis is carried out, and it is famous for granting fertility and finding love, and many foreign tourists visit.
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Table of Contents
- What is Kawasaki Keirin?
- KEIRIN Race Flow
- Being fast doesn't mean you win
- Guidance Corner
- Gourmet
- Race Schedule
- Race and event information
- Price information
- Access
What is Kawasaki Keirin?
Of the 43 bicycle racing tracks in Japan, Kawasaki Keirin Track is easily accessible from Tokyo, Haneda Airport, and Narita Airport, and is a popular tourist spot at night where you can enjoy the illuminated Keirin Stadium, which is easy to drop by.
Keirin was first adopted as an official event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and there are approximately 2,400 keirin racers, the most of any professional sport in Japan, 200 of whom are women.
*Please note when visiting: Kawasaki Keirin Stadium does not accept cashless payments, so please prepare cash (Japanese yen).
KEIRIN Race Flow
① Seven racers appear in color-coded uniforms and helmets
② The guide runs at the front and increases the pace.
③ When the bell rang to indicate one and a half laps remaining, the guides pulled the race back and the race began in earnest.
④ The athletes sprint – there can only be one winner!
Being fast doesn't mean you win
Keirin is a sport in which participants race bicycles on a bank (raceway) and compete to see who can reach the finish line first.
Keirin is not just a race of speed, but also involves a strong element of tactics with your opponent, which is what makes it so fascinating and deep. You will need to come up with various strategies to win.
Guidance Corner
If you don't know anything about Keirin, we recommend asking at the Guidance Corner! The staff at the Guidance Corner are former Keirin racers, so they'll give you detailed information about Keirin and even give you race predictions.
Among the staff is Morio Gunji, the father of Kohei Gunji, one of the strongest keirin racers in the world, and a former keirin racer himself. If you're lucky, you might even get to meet him.
Gourmet
Inside the velodrome, there is a restaurant where you can enjoy relatively inexpensive B-grade gourmet food (Japanese local comfort food), and one of the best parts of watching a velodrome is enjoying eating and drinking while watching the races.
Race Schedule
Keirin races are held irregularly. Please see the Kawasaki Keirin website for race schedules.
Race and event information
For race and event information at Kawasaki Keirin Stadium, click here!
Price information
Admission fee: Free
Reserved seat ticket
Main stand royal seats: 2,000 yen for venue events, 1,000 yen for off-site events
West Stand Royal Seats: 3,000 yen for main venues, 1,500 yen for off-site venues
For more information, please see the Kawasaki Keirin Stadium website.
Access
2-1-6 Fujimi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
15 minutes walk from JR Kawasaki Station or Keikyu Kawasaki Station
This is Kyu-chan, the image character for Kawasaki Keirin!
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