Umamusume: Pretty Derby Pilgrimage Guide: Kasamatsu Racecourse & Real Racehorse Landmarks in Japan

The real-world models for the Kasamatsu scenery depicted in Umamusume: Cinderella Gray are Kasamatsu Racecourse, Meitetsu Kasamatsu Station, and the riverside park along the Kiso River. Right beside the main gate of the racetrack stands a bronze statue of the real thoroughbred racehorse Oguri Cap, who inspired the protagonist's name.

At the museum inside Tokyo Racecourse, visitors can see Oguri Cap's Hall of Fame bust, while Nakayama Racecourse is the venue of the Arima Kinen that served as his retirement race, and Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido lets visitors meet the real racehorses Cheval Grand and Blast Onepiece. Below, we introduce both the anime locations and the places where visitors can encounter the real horses behind the characters.

Visiting the Town of Kasamatsu and Places Preserving Real Racehorse Records

1Kasamatsu Racecourse: The Track Where Oguri Cap Raced and the Bronze Statue at the Main Gate

Kasamatsu Racecourse in Gifu Prefecture is the regional racetrack where the real thoroughbred racehorse Oguri Cap made his racing debut. In the manga and TV anime Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, the Umamusume who inherits the name Oguri Cap begins her running career at the regional Kasamatsu Tracen Academy, and Kasamatsu Town—where the racecourse stands—served as the model for the town depicted on screen.

The real racehorse Oguri Cap entered the stables at Kasamatsu in 1987, winning 10 of his 12 local starts before transferring to Japan Racing Association (JRA) central racing in 1988. A life-size bronze statue commemorating his achievements stands beside the main gate of the racecourse, accompanied by a monument enshrining a lock of his mane.

Visitors entering the racecourse can watch live horse races from the public spectator areas on scheduled race days, though the track surface and stable area are off-limits to the general public. Because Kasamatsu Racecourse's live racing calendar varies each month, check the official race schedule and gate-opening hours when choosing your visit date.

Located at 12 Wakabacho, Kasamatsu Town, Hashima District, Gifu Prefecture, the racecourse can be reached on foot from Meitetsu Kasamatsu Station. Admission on live race days at Kasamatsu is waived (free of charge) through March 31, 2027, and because parking spaces are limited, arriving by train is convenient.

Sources: Kasamatsu Town — Anime Collaboration / Kasamatsu Town PR — History of Oguri Cap / Main Gate Bronze Statue & Monument / Kasamatsu Racecourse — Free Admission Notice / Racing Calendar

2Meitetsu Kasamatsu Station & Furatto Kasamatsu: The Town Gateway Depicted in the Anime

Meitetsu Kasamatsu Station served as the real-world model for station scenes in the TV anime Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, and as the closest railway station to Kasamatsu Racecourse it acts as the main rail gateway for fans visiting the town.

Located inside the station building, 'Furatto Kasamatsu' serves as a community exchange and local tourist information hub, normally open from 10:00 to 18:00 with a midday break from 13:00 to 14:00.

When the partnership between Kasamatsu Town and the anime launched in 2025, special character signboards at the station and display panels inside Furatto Kasamatsu were installed alongside the distribution of a pilgrimage map connecting the station and town; those station signs, panels, and the first-wave map distribution ran through March 31, 2026.

Sources: Kasamatsu Town — Real-World Anime Locations / Furatto Kasamatsu Guide / Wave 1 Collaboration Details

3Kasamatsu Minato Park: The Riverside Park Along the Kiso River That Modeled the Anime Scenery

Kasamatsu Minato Park is another real-world landscape modeled in Umamusume: Cinderella Gray. Developed along the banks of the Kiso River, the park opens out from the town's residential streets onto a wide riverside lawn overlooking the water and steel bridge.

Standing inside the park as a signature landmark is a 5.5-meter-tall solar-powered radio-controlled monument clock. During the 2026 anime collaboration, this clock tower served as one of the checkpoints for a digital stamp rally that ran through August 31, 2026.

Today, visitors can stroll freely through the park while taking in the views along the Kiso River.

Sources: Kasamatsu Town — Real-World Anime Locations / Kasamatsu Minato Park Guide / 2026 Collaboration Campaign

4JRA Racing Museum: Oguri Cap’s Hall of Fame Bust and the History of Central Horse Racing

Located inside Tokyo Racecourse, the JRA Racing Museum displays the commemorative bust of Oguri Cap, who was elected a JRA Hall of Fame Horse (Kenshoba) in 1991. Visitors can explore the history of the real horse inside the 'Racing Hall of Fame' gallery honoring horses that made lasting contributions to Japanese horse racing.

Among the major races the real Oguri Cap ran at Tokyo Racecourse were the 1988 Autumn Tenno Sho, the 1989 Japan Cup, and the 1990 Yasuda Kinen—with the 1988 Autumn Tenno Sho famous as the direct head-to-head showdown between Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross.

Located at 1-1 Hiyoshicho, Fuchu, Tokyo, the museum itself offers free admission, though a separate racecourse admission fee is required on days when live races are held at Tokyo Racecourse. Opening hours are 10:00 to 17:00 on Tokyo live race days and Park Wins (off-track betting) days, and 10:00 to 16:00 on other open days; on weekdays, visitors enter via the East Gate.

Closed days vary by season—normally Mondays and Tuesdays from March through November, and Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from December through February—so check the official museum calendar for holiday schedules and temporary closures.

Sources: JRA — Hall of Fame Horse Oguri Cap / Racing Hall of Fame / JRA — April 2026 Research Feature / JRA Racing Museum — Visitor Guide

5Nakayama Racecourse: Venue of the Arima Kinen That Oguri Cap Won Twice

Nakayama Racecourse is the venue where the real racehorse Oguri Cap won the Arima Kinen in both 1988 and 1990—crossing the finish line ahead of Tamamo Cross in 1988 and capturing a dramatic victory in his 1990 retirement race, marking two defining milestones for the horse who inspired the series protagonist.

Episodes 22 and 23 of the Cinderella Gray anime depict the running of the Arima Kinen and the scenes following victory, while the original manga continues all the way through his final retirement race in its 23rd and final volume.

On live race days at Nakayama, gates normally open at 9:00 with a 200-yen admission fee (free for visitors under age 15). On Park Wins days offering off-track betting for other racecourses, gates normally open at 9:15 with free admission; because entry rules may change on major Grade I race days, check the official admission guide for your target date.

On non-race weekdays, only the central-gate payout window is open for ticket redemptions, so plan sightseeing and track visits for scheduled race or Park Wins days.

Sources: JRA — Oguri Cap Race Record / Anime Episode 23 / Manga Volume 23 / Nakayama Racecourse — Hours / Race-Day Admission Guide

6Northern Horse Park: The Viewing Stable Home to Cheval Grand and Blast Onepiece

At Northern Horse Park in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, visitors can meet Cheval Grand and Blast Onepiece inside Viewing Stable 3—the two real thoroughbred racehorses whose names and spirits are inherited by their namesake characters in Umamusume.

Foaled in 2012, the chestnut thoroughbred Cheval Grand won the Japan Cup on November 26, 2017, running the 2,400-meter turf course at Tokyo Racecourse with jockey Hugh Bowman to finish ahead of Rey de Oro in 2nd and Kitasan Black in 3rd.

Foaled in 2015, the bay thoroughbred Blast Onepiece won the Arima Kinen on December 23, 2018 over the 2,500-meter turf course at Nakayama Racecourse with jockey Kenichi Ikezoe—a race in which Cheval Grand also ran and finished 3rd, meaning the two horses now sharing the same viewing stable once competed against each other in the very same Arima Kinen.

Visiting the stable is included with general park admission at no additional charge; because horses may be off view depending on their physical condition, follow on-site notices regarding daily viewing availability.

Northern Horse Park has held repeated collaborations with the franchise since 2024, staging its third collaboration from March 7 to April 9, 2026 with character standees, a stamp rally, pop-up shop, and voice-cast talk show featuring five Umamusume connected to the park's real horses.

Located at 114-7 Misawa, Tomakomai, Hokkaido, the park is open from 9:00 to 17:00 during the summer season (April 15 to November 5) and 10:00 to 16:00 during the winter season (November 6 to April 9). Admission is 1,200 yen for junior high school students and older and 600 yen for elementary school students in summer, and 700 yen and 300 yen respectively in winter (free for preschoolers).

A free shuttle bus runs from New Chitose Airport and free parking is available on site; because shuttle bus timetables vary by season, check the round-trip schedule for your visit date.

Sources: Northern Horse Park — 2026 Collaboration Announcement / Horses in the Viewing Stable / JRA — 2017 Japan Cup / 2018 Arima Kinen / Hours & Admission / Access Guide

Deeper into the Work: The World of Umamusume and Oguri Cap

Here we introduce the Umamusume featured across the racetracks and town exhibits through the world of the franchise—looking at how training and racing work in the game and how the story of Cinderella Gray unfolds from Kasamatsu.

Girls Who Inherit the Names and Spirits of Real Racehorses

The characters of Umamusume: Pretty Derby are girls with horse ears and tails who inherit the names and spirits of real-world racehorses, studying at an academy alongside their trainers and aiming to compete in the Twinkle Series.

First announced in 2016, the cross-media project expanded across music, manga, television anime, and games: Season 1 of the TV anime aired in 2018 following Special Week's move from rural Hokkaido to Tokyo, and the smartphone training simulation game launched on February 24, 2021.

Within the franchise, Cinderella Gray tells the story of Oguri Cap advancing from regional Kasamatsu to the national central circuit.

Sources: Cygames — Project Concept & Game Launch / TV Anime Season 1 Broadcast / Story of Special Week

Train, Race, and Take the Stage: Races and Winning Lives in the Game

In the simulation game, the player steps into the role of trainer to raise and guide an Umamusume.

In the 'Live Theater' mode, players can replay concert performances using songs unlocked through story chapters and training—freely selecting the lead vocalist, backup dancers, and stage costumes so the very same character can be experienced as both an athlete on the track and a performer on stage.

Sources: Cygames — Training & Race Mechanics / Live Theater Guide

Oguri Cap and Her First Rivals in Cinderella Gray

In Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, Oguri Cap is an ash-gray-haired Umamusume whose raw running talent is discovered by trainer Jo Kitahara after she enrolls at Kasamatsu Tracen Academy.

Because joining a trainer's team is required to enter official races in the story, Oguri Cap and her classmate Berno Light accept Kitahara's invitation to aim for their debut, squaring off against scholarship student Fujimasa March.

In Episode 5, Oguri and her team travel to Chukyo Racecourse to compete in the Chukyo Hai while Kitahara weighs the advice of his uncle Ginjiro Musaka, a veteran trainer on the central circuit; with Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky also in the stands watching, Oguri's regional running catches the eye of central racing figures.

Sources: Cygames — Real Horses & the Franchise / Shueisha — Series Overview / Anime Episode 2 / Anime Episode 5

Teammates Who Run Together, Rivals Who Compete, and Trainers Who Guide Them

Source: Official Anime Website — Characters

Showdown with Tamamo Cross: Two Gray Runners on the Central Stage

Waiting to clash directly with Oguri on the central circuit is fellow gray runner Tamamo Cross: Episode 12 builds toward their showdown in the Autumn Tenno Sho, while Episode 13 intercuts their duel down the final homestretch with Tamamo Cross's past.

Episode 22 moves the stage to the Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse, where Oguri recalls her origins mid-race, followed in Episode 23 by a post-victory Christmas party.

Sources: Episode 12 / Episode 13 / Episode 22 / Episode 23

The main promotional video for Cour 2 introduces the international Umamusume who arrive from overseas to compete in the Japan Cup, set to the opening theme song 'Spurt Syndromer' written and composed by TAKUMA of the rock band 10-FEET around the vivid image of a runner pushing past her limits to break her own personal record on the grandest stage.

Two Umamusume Born from Real Racehorses You Can Meet in Hokkaido

Sources: Cygames — Cheval Grand / Blast Onepiece / 2026 Northern Horse Park Talk Show

The Creators Behind the Manga and the Anime’s Running Action and Music

Dividing Roles Across Manga Art, Screenplay, and Planning Structure

Credited to Cygames as original creator, the manga Umamusume: Cinderella Gray is illustrated by Taiyo Kuzumi (marking Kuzumi's serialized manga debut), written by screenwriter Masafumi Sugiura, and structured by manga planning producer Junnosuke Ito.

Sugiura had previously worked on series composition and episode scripts for earlier seasons of the Umamusume television anime, while Ito brought extensive experience as an animation producer—uniting veteran Umamusume anime staff with manga artist Kuzumi to unfold Oguri Cap's story in print.

Serialization began in Weekly Young Jump Issue 28 on June 11, 2020 and reached its conclusion in Combined Issue 4/5 on December 25, 2025.

Sources: Shueisha Young Jump — Series & Creators / Cygames — Final Chapter Announcement / Shueisha — Volume 23

Animation by CygamesPictures and the Two Opening Theme Songs

Produced by animation studio CygamesPictures, the TV anime was directed by Takehiro Miura with series composition by Satoshi Kaneda, character designs by Yosuke Fukumoto, Keigo Sasaki, and Takuya Miyahara, action animation supervision by Kengo Matsumoto, and art direction by Osamu Hasada.

Nobuyuki Kamiya served as 3DCG director, Fumiyuki Go as sound director, and Kenji Kawai as music composer; the Cour 1 opening theme was 'Koeru' performed by [Alexandros], followed in Cour 2 (which premiered on October 5, 2025) by 'Spurt Syndromer' performed by 10-FEET.

Television broadcast began on April 6, 2025 across 28 TBS-affiliated stations nationwide, bringing Oguri's story to viewers across Japan.

Sources: Official Anime Staff / Cygames — Cour 1 Broadcast / Cour 2 & Theme Song

From Real Racehorse Records to Collaborations Between the Work and Kasamatsu Town

Kasamatsu Town’s Initiatives from 2025 to 2026

The regional collaboration between Kasamatsu Town and the TV anime Umamusume: Cinderella Gray launched on April 26, 2025, distributing a town pilgrimage map, installing character decorations at the station and around the town streets, and offering bonus trading cards for purchases made at participating local shops.

Thirty thousand trading cards were distributed during Wave 1, which ran through February 12, 2026, before Wave 2 followed from February 13 through August 31, 2026 with a digital stamp rally linking the town hall, the Kasamatsu History and Future Museum, the Minato Park clock tower, and Kasamatsu Racecourse.

One of the rally stops, the Kasamatsu History and Future Museum, features permanent exhibits on the historic Kasamatsu Jinya magistrate's office, sweetfish sushi relay couriers, local festivals, Mino-jima striped textiles, and merchant counting houses—serving as a cultural museum where visitors can learn about the real town that forms the backdrop of the anime.

Sources: Kasamatsu Town — Wave 1 Collaboration / Wave 2 Collaboration / Kasamatsu History and Future Museum Permanent Exhibition

The Racing Record of the Real Oguri Cap and the Racing Hall of Fame

The real thoroughbred racehorse Oguri Cap was foaled on March 27, 1985 and made his racing debut at Kasamatsu Racecourse on May 19, 1987, finishing 2nd before earning his first career victory on June 2 and compiling a local Kasamatsu record of 10 wins in 12 starts.

After transferring to central JRA racing in 1988, he finished 2nd behind Tamamo Cross in the Autumn Tenno Sho at Tokyo Racecourse on October 30 before defeating Tamamo Cross to win the Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse on December 25, 1988—and later won the Arima Kinen once again in his final retirement race on December 23, 1990.

Retiring with an overall career record of 22 wins in 32 starts, Oguri Cap was elected a JRA Hall of Fame Horse in 1991, and the permanent exhibit at the JRA Racing Museum preserves his racing history and achievements today.

Sources: JRA — Oguri Cap Complete Race Record / JRA Racing Hall of Fame

Production Materials Recording the Motion and Sound of the Races

Released on March 18, 2026, Blu-ray Volume 5 compiles Episodes 14 through 16 along with a special booklet featuring a roundtable conversation between director Takehiro Miura, assistant director Yudai Shimizu, and action animation supervisor Kengo Matsumoto, plus character and prop design sheets, Cour 2 opening storyboards, and a pseudo-5.1ch surround audio mix engineered to heighten the realism of the races.

Sources: Cygames — Cour 2 PV & Theme Song / 10-FEET — PV Release / Official Anime — Blu-ray Vol. 5 Specifications

Reading the Beginning in Kasamatsu: Manga Volume 1

Published by Shueisha on January 19, 2021 in a 212-page B6 print edition and simultaneous digital edition, Volume 1 of the manga lets readers experience the opening chapters of Oguri Cap's running career in regional Kasamatsu from the very beginning.

Bringing the story all the way to its conclusion is Volume 23, published on March 18, 2026, which depicts Oguri's final retirement run in the Arima Kinen to complete the 23-volume series.

Sources: Shueisha — Volume 1 Bibliography / Shueisha — Volume 23

Lab Note | From a Business Perspective: Creating Reasons to Shop in the Town of the Work

In Kasamatsu Town, the anime partnership paired real-world location introductions with local shop purchase bonuses—distributing 30,000 bonus trading cards during Wave 1 so fans walking the town with the pilgrimage map had a tangible way to participate through shopping and dining.

By linking a town-wide pilgrimage walk to shop-by-shop purchase bonuses, local stores were able to take part in the project through their everyday goods and meals—though card distribution counts measure bonus redemptions and should be evaluated separately from unique visitor headcount or overall economic impact.

Official Sources & Primary References

• Umamusume Project & Game Launch
• Cinderella Gray Manga
• Anime Characters
• Anime Production Staff
• Real Racehorse History of Oguri Cap
• Kasamatsu Town & the Anime
• JRA Racing Museum
• Northern Horse Park Viewing Stable
• Cygames Farm Visit Etiquette Guide

Exhibition dates, opening hours, admission fees, and ticket details are current at the time of writing. Always check the official websites for the latest schedule updates before setting out on your pilgrimage visit.