From an international perspective, horse racing could be the most global of the four types of race gambling. It’s not unusual to see both horses and jockeys come from overseas to join races in Japan. They usually obtain a short-term license to join races in Japan, and some of them have been naturalized in Japan to join races throughout the year.
In the meantime, some foreign horse owners take their horses to Japan to have them compete in high-stakes races such as the Japan Cup, while Japanese horses are sent overseas, like Dubai and Hong Kong, to join their prestigious races. Thanks to the amendment to the laws on horse racing betting in 2016, Japanese fans can bet on overseas races online.
Bicycle racing (Keirin) could be international after horse races. International racers, who are bicycle athletes for tracks mainly from Europe, compete in Japan for several months of the year. Before attending races in Japan, they spend about six months at Keirin school to learn rules and regulations unique to Keirin. It seems worthwhile because rewarding they can acquire at Keirin races are attractive. As to Japanese Keirin races, some of them are oriented to the Olympic games. They usually join the Japanese squad and focus on training for the Olympic games, taking a hiatus for Keirin races for that period.
Boat racing is far from internationalism. It is challenging to take on internationality in the first place because there aren’t any countries with boat race courses other than Japan or South Korea. The boat race in South Korea began in 2002 due to a substantial contribution from Japan. Bilateral cooperation between both countries doesn’t seem to resume at the moment.
Motorcycle racing (Autorace) is the least international of the four types of race gambling. Its rules and regulations are quite unique, and motorcycles are manufactured based on the specifications designated for Autorace.