I thought long and hard about whether I should include Grant's visit to Ueno Park on August 25, 1879. It was actually much grander than his visit to the Toyama races. There were all kinds of martial displays and he and his wife Julia planted trees, which is why the monument was placed at that location in the park.
But this article is about horse racing at Ueno Park, and Grant only played a role in that the Toyoma Racetrack was built for him. So, I decided not to mention it.
The monument was erected in 1929 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Grant's visit. For people interested in visiting, it is located near the Ueno Zoo entrance and the Toshogu Shrine area.
I spend a lot of time around Ueno and Ueno Park doing street photography, and I honestly had no clue there used to be a horse race track! That was very intriguing to read. I’m glad you found that gem of a photo!
Thank you, James. I believe there are no markers or plates at the pond to commemorate the racetrack and it appears that even most of the people in the neighborhood are unaware that horse racing once took place here.
I am glad you enjoyed this article. There is a lot more about the racetrack and Shinobazu coming in Part 2. Stay tuned!
And I am also researching what happened before and after Shinobazu. Ueno was the most important Japanese racetrack at the time, but not the only one. Horse racing even took place at Yasukuni Shrine and, of all places, at the Imperial Palace.
I’m honestly not surprised that there was horse racing at Yasukuni, since many shrines have a history of Yabusame, but I am surprised about the Imperial Palace.
I understand that the races at Yasukuni were British-style instead of the traditional ones found at shrines, but I will check more carefully. The races at the palace surprised me too. But they were small. Just three horses competed at a time, and I believe that it was strictly military.
So fascinating! I was recently wondering why modern day horse racing in Japan seems to be a bit looked down upon even though it started as an aristocratic pursuit in the past. Great piece of history, thank you!
That is a very interesting question. I got the impression that Japanese horse racing is more popular than ever. Although regional racetracks appear to be struggling, the central ones are doing very well. I will have to look into why it is looked own upon. What gives you that impression?
I passed by a ticket center for horse racing gambling in Kyoto the other day and the vibe was very much...Hanshin haha. Lots of middle aged men hanging around. There's a proper horse racing club in Nigawa that I have been meaning to go to. I imagine there will be some horse owners etc who are more posh...
The gambling centers do seem to attract a very specific demographic. But I understand that a respectable percentage of fans are young women. Many years ago, a friend of mine was part owner of a racing horse, and she wrote about horse racing as a journalist. At the time, she would have been in her late twenties, early thirties. Not at all posh, but well-educated, solidly middle to upper-middle class. You barely, if ever, see young women at the gambling centers, though.
Incidentally, the Hanshin Racecourse near Nigawa Station hosts Grade 1 (G1) horse races, so it should be a good one to visit to get an accurate impression of what kind of peopler are attracted to horse racing in Japan. My friend used to spend a considerable time at that track.
Indeed it does! But it is of course not meant to describe his whole career, just his connection to the Imperial Household when he was a secretary of the Union Race Club. Incidentally, in 1885, the very year after the races were moved from Toyama to Shinobazu, he became Japan's first Prime Minister.
I had no idea about the racetrack there! Again, always so much to learn in your posts. Also, this is a very visually rich post. The buildings are so beautiful and the colored woodblock prints stunning. Your comment about societal dementia hit home.
Not being home at the moment, I am exploring g Nagoya and today visited the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Wow!! It really is preserving the history of textile machinery and the transition into automotive manufacturing. Excellent museum. And yesterday we saw the Toyota City Municipal Museum of Art. I was on a mission to see a particular artist’s work there and really enjoyed the whole experience. Great architecture!
I have discovered that very few people know about the Shinobazu racetrack. It seems only people interested in the history of horse racing in Japan have heard of it. Even people living nearby Shinobazu have never heard of it. Interesting how something so famous can be almost completely forgotten so quickly.
As a Yokohama person, I can't help being surprised that you don't mention the Negishi racecourse in Yokohama, which opened in 1866. I would guess that it also has some influence on the notion that racetracks could be an element of bunmei kaki.
I introduce that part of horse racing history in Japan in Part 3, even showing what happened before Negishi. I have found some very interesting first-hand accounts of the earliest races in Yokohama. To my surprise, two well-known Dutch people were involved. Most accounts introduce it as an initiative of the British.
It may be a bit delayed as there is a very important image that I would like to purchase for this article, but because of my health issues of the past three years I currently don't have the funds…
Part 2 turns out to be too long, so I have to cut it up into two articles. So, instead of introducing Yokohama in Part 3, it now looks like it will be in Part 4. My apologies!
Thank you for sharing this basically unknown historical scene. My Japanese Colonel husband knew of the Pond and the military academy, but nothing about the racecourse. I love the wonderful details you include: the emperor and empress didn't attend together; and the cost of rice vs salary vs the emperor's "investment".
Thank you, Andra! I initially assumed this was a well-known thing, but I found that few Japanese know about the Shinobazu Racetrack. Even people living in the area, and the librarians that assisted me with research.
I think that the people who do know, know about it because of an interest in the history of horse racing.
Thank you for showing us the amazing layers of Tokyo’s history, which we unknowingly walk over everyday. Now that Tokyo is being redeveloped with monstrous concrete skyscrapers, like Godzilla hovering over us, what will Tokyo look like 100 years from now?
Impossible to answer, yet a very important question, Kristin. Thanks for posting it. Thankfully, although we cannot predict our future, to some extent we can influence it.
Change is inevitable, life can only continue when it adapts to new challenges.
But forgetting the past feels like a form of societal dementia.
I believe that preserving accurate memory of our cities and societies, and former ways of life, not the romanticizing nostalgic kind, plays an important part in building cities and societies that are livable.
The question then becomes, how can we build and live so that significant knowledge and memory remains alive?
Just like the memory of the horse races and Ueno Park itself — explained in Part 2 — helps us understand the role and power of nationalism, the statue of Godzilla may play a role, too.
Visitors to Ueno Park will want to keep an eye out for the monument commemorating Ulysses S. Grant’s visit to Japan in 1879.
Thank you for mentioning this, Andrew.
I thought long and hard about whether I should include Grant's visit to Ueno Park on August 25, 1879. It was actually much grander than his visit to the Toyama races. There were all kinds of martial displays and he and his wife Julia planted trees, which is why the monument was placed at that location in the park.
But this article is about horse racing at Ueno Park, and Grant only played a role in that the Toyoma Racetrack was built for him. So, I decided not to mention it.
The monument was erected in 1929 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Grant's visit. For people interested in visiting, it is located near the Ueno Zoo entrance and the Toshogu Shrine area.
I spend a lot of time around Ueno and Ueno Park doing street photography, and I honestly had no clue there used to be a horse race track! That was very intriguing to read. I’m glad you found that gem of a photo!
Thank you, James. I believe there are no markers or plates at the pond to commemorate the racetrack and it appears that even most of the people in the neighborhood are unaware that horse racing once took place here.
I am glad you enjoyed this article. There is a lot more about the racetrack and Shinobazu coming in Part 2. Stay tuned!
And I am also researching what happened before and after Shinobazu. Ueno was the most important Japanese racetrack at the time, but not the only one. Horse racing even took place at Yasukuni Shrine and, of all places, at the Imperial Palace.
I’m honestly not surprised that there was horse racing at Yasukuni, since many shrines have a history of Yabusame, but I am surprised about the Imperial Palace.
Looking forward to seeing more photos!
I understand that the races at Yasukuni were British-style instead of the traditional ones found at shrines, but I will check more carefully. The races at the palace surprised me too. But they were small. Just three horses competed at a time, and I believe that it was strictly military.
ありがとうございます。
競馬場も知らなかった！
今の静かな不忍池からは想像しづらい景色です。
本当に違いますよね。
競馬場の写真を見つけることができて、深くに感謝しています。
So fascinating! I was recently wondering why modern day horse racing in Japan seems to be a bit looked down upon even though it started as an aristocratic pursuit in the past. Great piece of history, thank you!
Thank you for your kind words!
That is a very interesting question. I got the impression that Japanese horse racing is more popular than ever. Although regional racetracks appear to be struggling, the central ones are doing very well. I will have to look into why it is looked own upon. What gives you that impression?
I passed by a ticket center for horse racing gambling in Kyoto the other day and the vibe was very much...Hanshin haha. Lots of middle aged men hanging around. There's a proper horse racing club in Nigawa that I have been meaning to go to. I imagine there will be some horse owners etc who are more posh...
The gambling centers do seem to attract a very specific demographic. But I understand that a respectable percentage of fans are young women. Many years ago, a friend of mine was part owner of a racing horse, and she wrote about horse racing as a journalist. At the time, she would have been in her late twenties, early thirties. Not at all posh, but well-educated, solidly middle to upper-middle class. You barely, if ever, see young women at the gambling centers, though.
Incidentally, the Hanshin Racecourse near Nigawa Station hosts Grade 1 (G1) horse races, so it should be a good one to visit to get an accurate impression of what kind of peopler are attracted to horse racing in Japan. My friend used to spend a considerable time at that track.
Yet another fascinating article.
I think calling Ito Hirobumi just a "Minister of the Imperial Household" rather understates his importance....
Indeed it does! But it is of course not meant to describe his whole career, just his connection to the Imperial Household when he was a secretary of the Union Race Club. Incidentally, in 1885, the very year after the races were moved from Toyama to Shinobazu, he became Japan's first Prime Minister.
I had no idea about the racetrack there! Again, always so much to learn in your posts. Also, this is a very visually rich post. The buildings are so beautiful and the colored woodblock prints stunning. Your comment about societal dementia hit home.
Not being home at the moment, I am exploring g Nagoya and today visited the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Wow!! It really is preserving the history of textile machinery and the transition into automotive manufacturing. Excellent museum. And yesterday we saw the Toyota City Municipal Museum of Art. I was on a mission to see a particular artist’s work there and really enjoyed the whole experience. Great architecture!
I have discovered that very few people know about the Shinobazu racetrack. It seems only people interested in the history of horse racing in Japan have heard of it. Even people living nearby Shinobazu have never heard of it. Interesting how something so famous can be almost completely forgotten so quickly.
You have made me curious about the museums!
As a Yokohama person, I can't help being surprised that you don't mention the Negishi racecourse in Yokohama, which opened in 1866. I would guess that it also has some influence on the notion that racetracks could be an element of bunmei kaki.
Good that you mention that, Ruth!
I introduce that part of horse racing history in Japan in Part 3, even showing what happened before Negishi. I have found some very interesting first-hand accounts of the earliest races in Yokohama. To my surprise, two well-known Dutch people were involved. Most accounts introduce it as an initiative of the British.
It may be a bit delayed as there is a very important image that I would like to purchase for this article, but because of my health issues of the past three years I currently don't have the funds…
Looking forward to Part 3, then!
Hi Ruth,
Part 2 turns out to be too long, so I have to cut it up into two articles. So, instead of introducing Yokohama in Part 3, it now looks like it will be in Part 4. My apologies!
Thank you for sharing this basically unknown historical scene. My Japanese Colonel husband knew of the Pond and the military academy, but nothing about the racecourse. I love the wonderful details you include: the emperor and empress didn't attend together; and the cost of rice vs salary vs the emperor's "investment".
Thank you, Andra! I initially assumed this was a well-known thing, but I found that few Japanese know about the Shinobazu Racetrack. Even people living in the area, and the librarians that assisted me with research.
I think that the people who do know, know about it because of an interest in the history of horse racing.
Thank you for showing us the amazing layers of Tokyo’s history, which we unknowingly walk over everyday. Now that Tokyo is being redeveloped with monstrous concrete skyscrapers, like Godzilla hovering over us, what will Tokyo look like 100 years from now?
Impossible to answer, yet a very important question, Kristin. Thanks for posting it. Thankfully, although we cannot predict our future, to some extent we can influence it.
Change is inevitable, life can only continue when it adapts to new challenges.
But forgetting the past feels like a form of societal dementia.
I believe that preserving accurate memory of our cities and societies, and former ways of life, not the romanticizing nostalgic kind, plays an important part in building cities and societies that are livable.
The question then becomes, how can we build and live so that significant knowledge and memory remains alive?
Just like the memory of the horse races and Ueno Park itself — explained in Part 2 — helps us understand the role and power of nationalism, the statue of Godzilla may play a role, too.
I wonder if you’ve seen this recent talk?
PRESS CONFERENCE: TOKYO'S LOST URBAN SPACES BY RIKEN YAMAMOTO, PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRIZE LAUREATE
https://youtube.com/live/3PR1Adt4seI?si=h4MhbsMOc_LNpN69
I hadn't seen that yet. Thanks for sharing!