You may have heard of Japan's famous "Keirin racing," now an Olympic sport, which is a bicycle race that is paced in the first laps by a motorized vehicle. The boat races on Lake Biwa are a kind of aquatic version of Keirin racing, but with high-powered, high-tech speedboats instead of bicycles.
Boat racing offers locals – and visitors – a completely safe and legal form of wagering. These races originated in Japan and are overseen and operated by the government.
We’ll depart from Kyoto Station and travel to beautiful Lake Biwa in Shiga for the event. The boats are high-powered and state-of-the-art. The races are thrilling to watch – and maybe even a bit more thrilling if you place a little bet on them!
Kenji, who has twenty years of experience with these races, will provide detailed instructions on how to enjoy the sport and how to place bets.
We'll make a brief stop at a special supermarket in Otsu where you'll get to choose your favorite snacks and drinks -- including beer, sake, or whiskey -- for a delicious picnic at the races.
Guests who are 20 years or older and don't wish to wager on the races are certainly welcome to enjoy watching them with us at Lake Biwa.
Duration: about 4 hours (We set out at 12:00pm. The travel time on a JR train from Kyoto Station to the boat race stadium is 35 minutes. We spend nearly three hours at the boat race stadium. After the races, the train ride back to Kyoto station is 35 minutes.)
Group size: 2-6 people
¥20,000 per person, which includes the cost of travel from Kyoto station to the stadium; a light meal; the entry fee; and a reserved seat
Please note that money or tickets used for betting are not included.
You must be at least 20 years old (the legal gambling age in Japan) to join us on the boat race tour.
The race schedule varies from month to month. We do hope there will be races on when you come to Kyoto! FYI, the times listed on the booking page are in local Kyoto time.
After confirming your reservation, we will email you with more details about the boat races.
Please be aware that the price of the boat racing tour does not include insurance of any type.
Refund policy
