Boat Race Tokoname Japan Photographer Japan Photographer

The boats can reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, making for some exciting races. In 2021, the cumulative number of users participating in boat race gambling in Japan amounted to approximately 426 million. Boat racing is one of the few sport disciplines that allow gambling in Japan. Born in Okayama, Japan in 1964, Tomo has covered horse racing, professional baseball, golf, boxing and more in his role as a sports writer.

Each competitor's performance over a six-month period determines whether they are promoted, demoted, or keep the same rank. Racers in the higher A classes are permitted to compete in more races more often. No refunds are given for disqualified boats, unless all boats are disqualified for some reason. In a sense, the flying start system can be compared to the mobile start used in harness racing. A large clock is used to count down to the start of each race.

According to the legend, Qu Yuan jumped into the River Miluo (汨羅江), on that day was May 5 -- the Fifth day of the Fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. So far, most people are familiar with the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate him, which is commonly known in English as the “Dragon Boat Festival” or “Double Fifth ”. In the field of folk culture, the Chinese people to the Dragon Boat Festival Dragon with boat races and eating those glutinous rice tamales are linked with the poet. Since then, every year that day, it should be dragon boat racing, eating those glutinous rice tamales, drinking wine to commemorate Qu Yuan. Some areas in China, in the festival, people insert in the iris or wormwood on the door, which of course is to prevent the diseases or evils attack their families.

For the further promotion of the program, the Dragon Boat Festival in 1991 wad held at the Yueyang City(岳陽市) in the province of Hunan(湖南省) -- a second home of Qu Yuan -- the first International Dragon Boat Festival Dragon Boat event in China. Haarii, or dragon boat races are an ancient Okinawan seafaring custom celebrated as a festival to thank the ocean for the blessings it provides. For these races, sabani’s, 競艇 which are elongated boats used by Okinawan fishermen for centuries, are used. Fishermen, oftentimes, traveled great distances from Japan to the Indian Ocean in sabani’s in rough sea conditions. Several races are held each year in these boats, with the Itoman and Naha Haarii festivals being the biggest events, both of which we will cover here. Horse Racing started in the 1800s and became very popular in the 1980s when Japanese horse races, specifically the Japan Cup became one of the richest races in the world.

The Okinawa-style dragon boats are elaborately carved and decorated in bright colours, with a dragon’s head facing skyward at the front, and a tail at the back. These dragon boats can hold 32 rowers, along with a crew of drummers, gong beaters, and flag bearers. Spectators purchase betting tickets known as funaken, with payouts divided from a collective pool; winnings, minus a percentage for the course operator, are paid in proportion to wagers. Due to the spread of the COVID-19, horseracing has continued without live spectators since 29 February, but online betting slips have fared well. Albert Wong, the late chairman of the Alberta Dragon Boat Race Foundation from 1992 to 1999. The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is on May 5 in the lunar calendar, it is the most important summer holiday in China.

Typical earnings for the top 300 racers are higher at ¥34 million, with some making as much as ¥100 million. Similar to other water and land-based motorsport where a minimum dry weight requirement includes the driver, rules require men to weigh in at 50 kg or more, while women must weigh in at 47 kg or more. If any competitor is short of the minimum weight, their boat will be loaded with additional ballast weight to compensate. Competitors are assigned an engine and a boat at random to use for race day. Competitors can tune their own engines between the exhibition run and the race.

See a celebration of Okinawa’s rich nautical history at the Naha Haarii, or dragon boat races. Every May during Japan’s Golden Week, the Naha Haarii transforms the Nahashin Port into a battle zone, as dragon boat teams compete in high-energy races. Hydroplane boat racing is one of a few varieties of public wagering allowed under Japan’s strict gambling laws. Other types include horse racing , bicycle racing , motorcycle speedway (ōtorēsu), and lotteries.

I had a great time learning how to bet on motorboats with friends. Another popular type of powerboat race in Japan is the circuit boat race, which takes place on a circular track. This type of race is often longer than a drag boat race, and can last for several hours.