The federal government, through an organization called the Japan Racing Association, operates all major horse racing in Japan. This federal control guarantees a certain amount of efficiency, but it also means that the JRA tracks themselves are gargantuan and impersonal structures lacking in charm, that the betting system is needlessly complicated, and that few interesting foreign horses compete here due to stubbornly protectionist rules—rules that also serve to keep the quality of racing from rising to a higher level.

Local governments run non-JRA tracks throughout the country—there are 24 of them—but the quality of racing prevents these local venues from being a viable option for serious gamblers. Many of them are interesting to see at least once if only because the seedy, post-war Japan feel that transports you instantly to the year 1958. And unlike their JRA counterparts, the local tracks run on weekdays, usually at night. Sounds great, right? The problem is the abysmal level of racing. Most of the local horses look suspiciously like soon-to-be basashi, and move about as quickly. Admittedly, it is at first a lark to bet on Arabians and other non-thoroughbreds, but after a while betting at these local venues becomes too much like playing the lottery.

For anyone wanting to play the ponies seriously, JRA racing is the only option. The JRA operates two tracks in Hokkaido, one in Kyushu, two in the Kansai area, three in the Tokyo area, and two in northern Honshu. If there is no JRA track near, seek out one of the JRA’s many off-track betting facilities, called WINS (another mysterious Japanese acronym). If reading kanji is not a problem, a great way to beat the crowds is to get a JRA on-line account, watch the races on TV and bet using cell phones or on the Net.

And there are crowds. Horse racing in this country is hugely popular and crowds of well over one hundred thousand routinely turn up for big races. All the GI races are big news, and make good fodder for conversation with sporting-minded colleagues, although caution is recommended. Despite the massive popularity of horse racing, openly reading the keiba section of a sports daily is seen as a sign of immorality and lack of seriousness at some work places. It’s fine for some aged pensioner to check the stats of his favorite horse in some public place, but it’s still taboo for Mr. Average.

But never mind about the social aspect. Horse racing is a sport specifically designed with gambling in mind. Japan is no different, and there is opportunity to make money here. Since so few foreign jockeys or horses compete in this country, betting on outsiders can create interesting opportunities. Japanese bettors have a tendency to either scoff at foreign-breds, which are marked in the newspaper with the Chinese character for “foreign,” or to overestimate the impact of “gaijin power.” Occasionally, foreign jockeys are granted short-term licenses, and they usually perform well. This writer once won a million yen simply by boxing two lightly regarded foreign-bred horses with a horse ridden by a skilled foreign jockey.

Adding to the fun, there are now more types of exotic bets, including trifectas, perfectas, and a fun variation of the quinella, called the “wide,” which pays when selected horses come in first and second, first and third, or second and third. This is a good option for those who like to box three horses, since you never have to bet against yourself. For those who have trouble with Chinese characters, try the betting instructions on the JRA English website.

Let’s sum up: On the positive side, JRA races have lots of weekend action for the hard-core gambler. Information is everywhere, and research is as easy as talking about horses with a friend. Even though public admission of gambling is taboo, the likelihood of finding a keiba-savvy friend or colleague is high. People stuck out in the country can gamble on-line, over the telephone, or search out the nearest off-track betting facility.

The most negative aspect of keiba remains, aside from ill-designed and impersonal betting facilities, the annoying marked-card system for betting. The Japanese have a genius for adding unnecessary steps to a simple process. They are also very good at making an essentially fun activity into a dreary one. Evidence of these two talents are found everywhere in keiba, starting with the idea of wading through tens of thousands of crazed gamblers just to stick money into a confusing and ugly machine. The marked-card system would be easier to take if we could at least hand our picks to a human being, but human contact is not something the JRA encourages.