Powerboat racing in Japan is looking to leave a bad reputation in its wake as it tries to attract new fans. Known locally as Kyotei, it is one of the few sports in Japan where betting is legal.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00In Japan's Kyote races, the roar of outboard motors is often only drowned out by the roar
00:10of crowds.
00:32With pilots carving tight corners at upwards of 80 kilometers per hour, accidents are common.
00:38At least 30 people have died since the sport's inception in the 1950s.
00:43And yet, in Japan, its association with betting is what gives it a bad reputation.
01:05Alongside speedway and bike and horse racing, power boating is one of the few sports people
01:10can legally bet on in Japan.
01:13But that's led to a number of high-profile scandals.
01:16One in 2020 saw a racer sentenced to three years for match-fixing.
01:41Strict controls are in place to prevent cheating.
01:44At the start of a competition week, pilots pass through metal detectors to check for
01:48phones before being confined to on-site dormitories to prevent information leaks.
01:53They're even required to maintain their own equipment during that period, acting as
01:56both competitors and engineers.
02:10Despite a poor reputation, the sport is uniquely inclusive.
02:15Men compete alongside women, and pilots as old as 75 race against opponents like Takahashi
02:20Suzuka, who is 17.
02:36Fans compare the sport to Formula One, and organizers have launched ad campaigns hoping
02:41to outpace its reputation and attract new fans.
02:59With a new generation of racers and fans turning up to Kyoto events, the sport's future looks
03:04bright, evidence that the excitement of high speed and roaring motors may be enough to
03:08leave the scandals of the past in their wake.
03:14Ryan Woo and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.