- July 2nd, 2015
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[Hakodate Racecourse] Oldest Racecourse with Only Viweing Sea in Japan Racing Association Racecourses
Hakodate Racecourse
Hakodate Racecourse (函館競馬場) is a racecourse in front of Keibajomae Stop (競馬場前駅) of Hakodate Streetcar in the eastern part of Hakodate downtown, and is relatively close to Yunokawa Onsen (湯の川温泉). The racecourse is one of 10 Japan Racing Association racecourses, Tokyo, Nakayama, Kyoto, Hanshin, Chukyo, Sapporo, the Hakodate, Nigata, Fukushima and Kokura, and is famous as the oldest racecourse built in 1896 in all the Japan Racing Association racecourses. It is one of popular reason that this is the only racecourse with a sea view from a main stand in the Japan Racing Association racecourses. As a beginning of Hokkaido series starting maiden races, horse races are held about from June to August. Admission fee is JPY 100. A toll parking lot is JPY 1000. Except horse racing season, the facility is used as an off‐course betting office, and the toll parking lot is JPY 500 in that time.
Hokkaido has 4 racecourses, Sapporo Racecourse and the Hakodate Racecourse belonging to the Japan Racing Association, Monbetsu Racecourse belonging to Horse Racing Hokkaido (北海道道営競馬) and Obihiro Racecourse belonging to Baneikeiba Tokachi (ばんえい競馬). In those racecourses, the Sapporo Racecourse and the Hakodate Racecourse have a grass race track. Only those racecourses use cool season grasses in the Japan Racing Association. Others use hot season grasses in most of Japan, so it is said that horses with aptitude for the cool season grasses are strong. In addition, the Hakodate Racecourse has a smaller turning bend and ups and downs track, too, so strong horses also are good at those.
Yunokawa Onsen
Yunokawa Onsen (湯の川温泉) is a famous hot-spring resort in the eastern part of Hakodate city. Hot springs spring 7000 liters everyday, so a quantity of the hot springs is abundant, too. 1.8 million tourists come here, and is one of the 3 major hot spring resorts in Hokkaido together with Noboribetsu Onsen (登別温泉) and Jozankei Onsen (定山渓温泉). The Yunokawa Onsen is called a back room of Hakodate, and I think that it is popular for easy access to the Yunokawa Onsen because it takes about 15 minutes from Hakodate Station by a car, and it takes about 5 minutes from Hakodate Airport by a car. It is probably only the Yunokawa Onsen in Hokkaido that there is a large hot-spring resort in the city area. Read More
By the way, Express Hakodate-go (高速はこだて号) and Hakodate Limited Express New Star-go (函館特急ニュースター号), express buses, run between Sapporo and the Hakodate. Unfortunately, the express bus does not run between New Chitose Airport and the Hakodate. Besides, Rent-a-car can be rented around Hakodate Station, Hakodate Airport, the Goryokaku Fort and Hakodate Ferry Terminal.
HAKODATE
Hakodate (函館) that about 260,000 people live is the 3rd largest port city in Hokkaido, and is a regional hub city of the Southern Hokkaido area. The Hakodate became incorporated with Toi town (戸井), Esan town (恵山), Todohokke village (椴法華) and Minami-kayabe town (南茅部) in 2004, and most of Kameda Peninsula (亀田半島) has changed to the Hakodate. It is one of most popular tourist cities in the Hokkaido, and about 5 million people visit here. The downtown of the Hakodate from Mt. Hakodate toward former Goryokaku fort is developed on a large sandbar between the seas, and a unique seashore landscape is very popular. Although a lot of tourists think the center town of the Hakodate is around Hakodate Station and the Mt. Hakodate, it is around Hakodate Streetcar Goryokaku Koen-mae Stop (函館市電五稜郭公園前駅). The Hakodate is also well-known as a city with a lot of slopes, and there are 19 slopes with its name such as Hachiman-zaka slope (八幡坂), Daisan-zaka slope (大三坂) and Motoi-zaka slope (基坂), so around the Mt. Hakodate has a lot of slope lands, and the Hakodate has a lot of narrow roads. As for a climate, the Hakodate is wamer than other cities in the Hokkaido because it is located of the Southern Hokkaido, and it does not snow hard. Read More
Look of Hakodate Racecourse
The Hakodate Racecourse renovated in 2010 looks clean. About 90,000 people visit here during the horse racing season. The racecourse is small in the 10 Japan Racing Association racecourses, but compact and access-friendly facilities have a good reputation. Although a lot of horse racing are not held in the Hakodate, horse racing fans come to enjoy a tour such as eating tasty dishes from all over the Japan, and the Hakodate Racecourse is sometimes crowded with the fans.
The Hakodate Racecourse is roughly divided into 2 parts, the racecourse and a main stand. The racecourse has 2 types of race tracks, the grass race track and a dirt race track. The main stand is built in front of a goal, and a turf vision is built to watch horse racing in a distance, so a lot of people come to watch it.
The main stand has Winning Horse Betting System (勝馬投票券発売機 * How to Bet), a padock, padock seats, a kids corner, Square of Clouds (雲の広場), a dugout padock, Horse Vista (ホースヴィスタ), a observation deck, Light Square (光の広場), a food court, food stalls and a restraunt.
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Green Square (緑の広場) is built at the inside of the race tracks. That is a playground equipment for children, and Fluffy Dome (ふわふわドーム), a slide and playground equipments are set on the ground, and even families can enjoy the Hakodate Racecourse.
Graded races held in the Hakodate Racecourse are Hakodate Sprint Stakes (函館スプリントステークス), Hakodate Memorial (函館記念) and Hakodate Nisai Stakes (函館2歳ステークス), and those are grade level III. Speaking of the Hakodate Racecourse, Erimo Harrier (エリモハリアー) with 3rd consecutive wins the Hakodate Memorial is famous in particular. Except the Hakodate Racecourse, he has never won even non grade level race, so it is called "a child of the Hakodate". Unfortunately, he has been dead since December 14, 2018.
Movie of Erimo Harrier's Victory
Atmosphere of Hakodate Racecourse Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Hakodate Racecourse
| Admission fee | JPY 100 |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | JPY 1000 |
| Business hour | 09:00-17:00 |
| Regular closing day | Other than a day at the races |
| Telephone number | +81-138-53-1021 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 86 108 767*20 |
List of accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the downtown of the Hakodate. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
Yunokawa Onsen
South Part of Hakodate Downtown
North Part of Hakodate Downtown
A page of Hakodate is here
Hakodate
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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