Negishi Racecourse was a horse-racing facility located on the outskirts of Yamate in the treaty port of Yokohama, recognized as the first purpose-built European style racecourse in Japan. The course was operational between 1866 and 1942. It had a major influence on racecourses built later all over Japan, such as its clockwise circuit course and the structure of the stands.
Overview
The track is a right-handed turf course with a circumference of 1,764 metres and a width of 28.8 metres. As of 1937, the circumference was 1,632 metres and the width ranged from 15 metres to 26.5 metres; these dimensions were substantial, rivaling those of modern racecourses used for Japan Racing Association events.「日本型収益事業」の形成過程 : 日本競馬事業史を通じて（著：萩野寛雄、2004年） - 国立国会図書館サーチ、2021年6月12日閲覧
The decision to adopt a right-handed layout is attributed to two main factors: the Tokugawa Shogunate's financial constraints at the time, which precluded significant land-leveling costs; and the local topography, where a left-handed layout would have resulted in an uphill slope before the finish line, thereby preventing the kind of close, neck-and-neck finishes that generate excitement. Furthermore, because Negishi Racecourse adopted a right-handed course, many racecourses subsequently built across Japan followed its example; this led to a distinct evolutionary path for Japanese racing, differing from the left-handed courses common in many other countries.
A straight section exists only on the grandstand side (the home stretch), while the backstretch follows a gentle curve.
The Main Stand The main stand, in use since 1889, was damaged by fire in 1911; it underwent major repairs and was replaced by a three-story wooden structure, but this was partially destroyed in the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. Although horse racing resumed the following spring using a makeshift shack, the construction of a new stand became an urgent priority.
When planning the construction of a new grandstand, States Isaacs, the manager of Negishi Racecourse, commissioned Jay Morgan—a chief architect with the American firm George A. Fuller Company who had come to Japan in 1920 to work on the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo—to design the structure. The previous grandstand had been a simple wooden box-like building with limited seating capacity and numerous pillars that obstructed views of crucial race moments; consequently, Isaacs stipulated that the new design must offer high seismic resistance, dignified aesthetics, and a functional layout that provided clear sightlines to the corners of the track. Drawing on his experience from the Great Kanto Earthquake, Morgan proposed a structural design that minimized roof weight, successfully reducing the number of internal support pillars and thereby ensuring an unobstructed view of the entire course from the spectator seating.
The Nippon Race Club began renovating its grandstand on May 19, 1929, following the conclusion of the spring race meeting; by November 2, the first-class stand (with a capacity of 4,500) was approximately 80% complete, and racing was held there. The second-class stand (capacity: 6,000) was finished the following year, and in 1932, a glass-roofed canopy was added. By extending this large canopy outward, the club was able to remove the front wall, creating a more open structure.
In 1934, a second-class viewing stand was added to accommodate a rapidly increasing number of spectators, doubling the total capacity to 12,000 people. The grandstand was a seven-story, one-basement structure built of steel-reinforced concrete with a total floor area of 7,700 square meters; it featured three elevators—a rarity at the time—and was equipped with 70 betting windows each for first- and second-class areas, as well as 28 payout windows for first-class and 35 for second-class. A VIP room was located in the center of the top floor of the first-class stand; its spacious interior blended Japanese and Western styles, featuring a high coffered ceiling where each panel was adorned with a dignified phoenix painting. Admission to the first-class stand required formal attire (whether Japanese or Western). Thanks to their luxurious facilities and superb views—including sights of the harbor and Mount Fuji—these stands were hailed as the finest in the Orient and served as a model for racecourses subsequently built across the country.日本中央競馬会『日本レース・クラブ五十年史』1970年、扉写真説明
History Japan’s Opening to the World and the Beginnings of Modern Horse Racing In 1853, the U.S. Navy’s East India Squadron, led by Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, arrived in Edo Bay off the coast of Uraga (present-day Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture) to demand that Japan open its doors to the outside world; this led to the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan with the Tokugawa Shogunate the following year. Subsequently, the Port of Yokohama was opened in 1859 under the Ansei Treaties—a series of five agreements, including the Treaty of Amity and Commerce signed with the United States in 1858.
Although the treaty-designated open port was originally intended to be Kanagawa—a post station on the Tokaido (located in the area spanning present-day Kanagawa-honcho to Aoki-cho in Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama)—Yokohama was selected instead, despite being little more than a small fishing village at the time. This choice is attributed to the Tokugawa Shogunate's desire to avoid clashes between foreigners and anti-foreign factions; consequently, the authorities developed the Yokohama area—situated somewhat apart from the heavily trafficked Tokaido—as an alternative site. Thus, a foreign settlement was established in Yokohama; areas such as the Kannai Settlement (present-day Yamashita-cho), Yokohama Shinden (present-day Yokohama Chinatown), and Otaya Shinden (near the former Yokohama City Hall and Yokohama Stadium, as they existed until 2020) were reclaimed and incorporated into the settlement, which was subsequently developed and expanded into an urban district.
Foreigners who arrived in Japan after the opening of the ports introduced various aspects of Western culture to the country. Among these was a Western-style equestrian culture, which included horse racing. These individuals enjoyed horse racing and horseback riding as part of their daily leisure activities.立川健治『文明開化に馬券は舞う－日本競馬の誕生－』 競馬の社会史叢書（1）、世織書房、2008年。P169 They were passionate about horse racing and strongly desired to continue enjoying the sport—as well as riding—in Japan, just as they had in their home countries. They also wished to introduce the sport they loved to the Japanese people. Western-style horse racing began to take place in Yokohama; records indicate that the earliest race was held on September 1, 1860—the year following the port's opening—in Motomachi (located in present-day Motomachi, Naka Ward, Yokohama).
Subsequently, in 1862 (the second year of the Bunkyū era), a temporary circular racetrack—measuring 1,200 meters in circumference and 11 meters in width—was constructed at Yokohama Shinden, and horse racing began there that spring. This facility is considered the prototype for modern (Western-style) horse racing in Japan. However, as the population of foreign residents grew, the temporary track was closed and the land was converted into a residential area. Although racing continued at various temporary sites thereafter, the issue of a racetrack had become a diplomatic matter as early as the end of the Edo period, driven by mounting calls from foreign residents for the construction of a permanent facility.
The Namamugi Incident and the Opening of the Negishi Racecourse Japan's opening to the outside world had plunged the country into a turbulent era, marked by the intensification of the Sonnō jōi (Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians) movement. Amidst this climate, the Namamugi Incident occurred in 1862, in which Satsuma samurai killed and wounded British nationals who had ridden their horses across the path of a procession led by Shimazu Hisamitsu, the father of the Satsuma domain's lord. This incident sparked a growing desire among foreign residents to hold horse races in a safe, secluded location. Concurrently, as tensions with foreign nations mounted, negotiations between the Tokugawa shogunate and the foreign community ensued; these culminated in 1864 with the signing of the "Memorandum on the Yokohama Foreign Settlement" by the Shogunate and four nations—United Kingdom, the United States, France, and the Netherlands—aimed at improving and developing the Yokohama foreign settlement.
However, the terms were disadvantageous to the Shogunate, including a provision to incorporate the waterfront street of the Japanese settlement into the foreign settlement. The memorandum stipulated that, as part of the reparations for the Namamugi Incident, a marshland area behind the settlement (near present-day Ogi-cho and Matsukage-cho in Naka Ward) would be reclaimed at the Shogunate's expense to build a racecourse, with its operation entrusted to a committee of foreign residents. Although the Shogunate had been negotiating revisions, matters accelerated rapidly following the "Butaya Fire" (Pigsty Fire) of 1866. Ministers from four nations agreed to annul Article 1 of the Yokohama Settlement Memorandum on the condition that a racecourse be built—at the Shogunate's expense—at Negishi, located on a hill away from the Tokaido road, with a land lease rate of 10 dollars per 100 tsubo (approximately 330 square meters). Consequently, Japan's first Western-style racecourse, the Negishi Racecourse, was opened that same year—designed and supervised by officers from the British garrison—and horse racing began there the following year, in 1867.
Initially, the races were organized by the "Yokohama Race Club", founded by resident foreigners (primarily the British). However, the club faced a crisis due to internal discord, financial difficulties stemming from the economic decline of the foreign settlement, and challenges in securing Japanese-bred horses. Unable to pay rent by 1880, they terminated their lease agreement and established "The Nippon Race Club", opening membership—previously restricted to resident foreigners—to Japanese nationals as well. This move resulted from an alignment of interests: the Meiji government sought to use the racecourse as a venue to showcase its Westernization policies, while the original club sought a more robust financial foundation. The newly formed Nippon Race Club counted members of the Imperial family among its honorary members, while key Meiji government figures—such as Saigō Tsugumichi, Matsukata Masayoshi, and Itō Hirobumi—became full members, owning racehorses and participating in the races.
The Role Played by Negishi Racecourse