From Kanazawa Station's East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus (#30, #31, #32, #40) toward "Mitsuyamachi" or "Nakano." Get off at "Keiba Jo Iriguchi" (Racecourse Entrance). Fare is about 220 yen.
If you love horse racing for the sport rather than the spectacle, visit Kanazawa. You will stand ten feet from the rail as 1,000-pound thoroughbreds whip around a tight left-handed turn. You will taste local sake while holding a paper ticket worth $2. And you will witness a version of Japanese horse racing that is rapidly disappearing. kanazawa racecourse
The JRA was tightening its grip on national betting, and local ownership was waning. In 2002, Kanazawa hit rock bottom—racing was suspended, and the track faced permanent closure. From Kanazawa Station's East Exit, take the Hokutetsu
Racing is held primarily on Sundays, Mondays, and some holidays from mid-April to mid-December. The track is closed in the deep winter (January to March) due to heavy snow in Ishikawa. The Verdict: Why You Should Go Kanazawa Racecourse is not about high-stakes glamour. It is about survival. It is a blue-collar racetrack where trainers live in small apartments above the stables and jockeys ride eight races a day just to break even. You will stand ten feet from the rail