Hotels for Japan Cup 2026

The Japan Cup is Asia's greatest race — a rich international invitational run at Tokyo Racecourse in late November that pits the best of Japan against top raiders from around the world. Japanese racing is a spectacle of huge, knowledgeable crowds and immaculate presentation, and a trip to the Japan Cup pairs world-class sport with the endless fascination of Tokyo.

The meeting draws big numbers, and autumn is peak season in the city, so book early. Stay central — Shinjuku, Shibuya or around Tokyo Station — and you're a smooth train ride from Fuchu and the racecourse, with the whole of Tokyo's food, culture and neon on your doorstep.

The Japan Cup is the crown jewel of Japanese flat racing, an international invitational run over 2,400 metres on turf at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, on the western edge of the capital, on the last Sunday of November. First staged in 1981 to test the best home-trained horses against overseas raiders, it quickly became one of the richest and most prestigious races in the world, drawing challengers from Europe, Australia and beyond to Japan's showpiece meeting.

Over the years it has crowned champions of the highest calibre, among them the mighty mare Almond Eye, whose victories here cemented her place among the finest horses the country has produced. Run before enormous, immaculately behaved crowds at one of racing's grandest venues, the Japan Cup is the highlight of the autumn season and, from 2026, carries a record purse that ranks among the most valuable turf prizes anywhere. For visiting racegoers it pairs world-class sport with the endless energy of Tokyo.