Barbara Bayer - The Japan Times

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Barbara Bayer

For Barbara Bayer's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

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Dec 24, 2007

Matsurida Gogh surprises in Arima Kinen

FUNABASHI, Chiba Pref. — This year's stars failed to shine in the year-end wrapup Arima Kinen, embarrassingly eclipsed by Matsurida Gogh, a dark horse that had yet to win a top-level race.

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Nov 26, 2007

Admire Moon ends career by winning Japan Cup crown

Admire Moon avenged his Emperor's Cup loss late last month with victory in the Japan Cup Sunday. Topping a field of 18, including four runners from overseas, Darley Japan's newly acquired treasure capped a bright career with a win by a head over Pop Rock, with race favorite Meisho Samson finishing in third a neck later ahead of second pick Vodka and Delta Blues.

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Nov 25, 2007

Vermilion gallops to record win in Japan Cup Dirt

Race favorite Vermilion extended his winning streak to two with a record win in the Japan Cup Dirt Saturday at Tokyo Racecourse.

Japan Times

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Oct 29, 2007

Meisho Samson triumphs in second Emperor's Cup of '07

Deep-blue, post-typhoon skies and a rare late-afternoon appearance by Mount Fuji set the stage for the 136th running of the Emperor's Cup Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse. With the day's uncommon beauty came an uncommon show of strength as race favorite Meisho Samson reigned supreme in a star-studded lineup of 16 that included six group 1 winners, four-time group 1 winner Daiwa Major and Melbourne Cup champ Pop Rock.

BUSINESS

Oct 4, 2007

DHL calls for change of views

Asked to name the largest German employers in Japan, names most likely to come to mind would be car makers, auto parts manufacturers, or pharmaceutical giants. The second-largest is, in fact, DHL, the world's leading international express and logistics company. In Japan, DHL aims to continue its double-digit growth by changing perceptions and grabbing more of the market in the U.S.

Japan Times

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Jun 4, 2007

Japan runners sweep 57th Yasuda Kinen

Daiwa Major beat the jinx and the field Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse as he nudged out Kongo Rikishi O by a neck for the win at the Yasuda Memorial's 57th running.

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May 28, 2007

Vodka knocks out Derby competition

She's strong stuff, that Vodka! Incredulous fans were reeling Sunday as a filly named Vodka delivered a knockout punch to capture the Nippon Derby by a jaw-dropping 3 lengths. Putting the boys firmly in their place, Vodka, the first filly to run in the Derby in 11 years, became the first filly in 64 years to win it.

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May 21, 2007

American-born filly wins Oaks

Robe Decollete on Sunday became the first foreign-bred filly to win the Oaks as she picked off the favorite in the final stride, besting a field of 18 in the classic's 68th running at Tokyo Race Course. Bella Rheia finished second before a crowd of more than 100,000, with Love Caerna and Minty Air placing third and fourth place, respectively.

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May 14, 2007

Koiuta, Asahi Rising shock field

The top picks were nowhere in sight at the finish of Tokyo's main race Sunday, with longshot Koiuta and ninth choice Asahi Rising turning in a surprise one-two finish in the second running of the Grade 1 Victoria Mile. Koiuta ("love song") bested the field of 18 to bring home her first win in over a year, a long-awaited victory that was surely sweet music to owner/singer Kiyoshi Maekawa. It was sweet music as well for 23-year-old jockey Masami Matsuoka, who picked up his first grade 1 victory of a 4-year career following a grueling battle down the stretch. Matsuoka, holding Koiuta in sixth position from the backstretch, brought the 4-year-old filly sharply in just at the base of the straight slope to pull clear of traffic and open up for the run home. Asahi Rising, also 4, who had held the lead from the start, battled bravely under a volley of lashes as the equally strong Matsuoka urged Koiuta near on the inside and third-place finisher by a nose Daring Heart gained ground on the far outside. Asahi Rising was no match, overcome by Koiuta some 100 meters from the line. Favorite Kawakami Princess and second pick Sweep Tosho, who loaded uncharacteristically with little protest, looked fine under way, but returned fans' expectations by crushing the 10th and ninth-place finishers, respectively. Kiss to Heaven crossed the line in fourth place, with Jolly Dance in fifth. Koiuta, by Fuji Kiseki, out of the Dr Devious mare Violet Love, was bred by Shadai Farm in Hokkaido. She is now 5-for-16, with the Victoria Mile's 90-million yen winner's share boosting her earnings to more than 236 million yen. Winning time over the 1,600 meters of fast turf was 1 minute, 32.5 seconds. The No. 4 Koiuta paid 6,030 yen on a 100 yen wager. One hundred yen down on the trifecta 4-3-16 would have resulted in a fine Mother's Day bouquet of over 2.28 million yen.

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Apr 16, 2007

Jockey Tanaka, Victory triumph in Satsuki-sho

FUNABASHI, Chiba Pref. -- The clue was in the name Sunday for those seeking this year's Satsuki-sho winner at Nakayama. In fact, the clue WAS the name -- Victory.

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Dec 25, 2006

Take rides horse to Arima Kinen triumph

FUNABASHI, Chiba Prefecture -- "He flew. He flew like never before." With words he has used race after race, Yutaka Take once again chose them to describe a titan of thoroughbreds -- Deep Impact.

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Nov 27, 2006

Deep Impact blasts Japan Cup competition

Tears of joy. Tears of relief. The kind of tears that spring to your eyes when you know you're witnessing historical moments. Those were the kind of tears that sprang to eyes at Tokyo Racecourse Sunday -- for Deep Impact.

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Oct 23, 2006

Meisho Samson fails to capture Triple Crown

KYOTO -- Meisho Samson's bid for the Triple Crown was stopped at two Sunday as darkhorse Song of Wind stormed down the stretch to clinch the final leg Kikkasho in record time. Winning time was 3 minutes, 2.7 seconds over 3,000 meters of fast turf. Second choice Dream Passport followed Song of Wind over the line in second place by a neck, with third pick Admire Main finishing a length and a quarter behind him in third, Meisho Samson in fourth place 2 1/2 lengths later.

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Oct 2, 2006

Aussie horse wins Sprinters Stakes

FUNABASHI, (Chiba Pref.) With Deep Impact's bid for the coveted Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe but hours away, the fall slew of top-level races kicked off on the home turf Sunday with the 40th running of the Sprinters Stakes.

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Jun 5, 2006

Hong Kong horse wins Yasuda

Two of Hong Kong's three runners in the Yasuda Kinen on Sunday in Tokyo took first and third place, with Bullish Luck besting the crowd by two-and-a-half lengths for not only the 100 million yen winner's share but a $1 million bonus as well.

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May 29, 2006

Meisho Samson nails Nippon Derby

Rain turned to blue skies for the more than 107,000 fans at Fuchu on Sunday, especially for those with their money behind Meisho Samson.

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May 22, 2006

Kawakami Princess captures Oaks

Kawakami Princess turned the tables on the two top picks Sunday for a three-quarters-of-a-length win of the grade I Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse.

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May 15, 2006

Dance in the Mood back in form

It was a long time coming, but Dance in the Mood finally found her feet again, capturing the Mother's Day inaugural Victoria Mile at Tokyo Sunday by a length and a quarter over Air Messiah.

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May 8, 2006

Logic a winner in NHK Mile Cup

Though one would be a fool to think logic played any role in horse racing, it did prove a winner Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse, at least for a colt by that name and those who put their money behind him.

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May 1, 2006

Deep Impact romps to record

KYOTO -- Last out of the gate and first over the finish line, Deep Impact dragged the crowd emotionally through the dirt, knocking them about as first they gasped, then sighed, cheered and finally even cried. "I'm 90 percent relieved, and 10 percent overjoyed," an exhausted-looking owner, Makoto Kaneko, said post-Emperor's Cup.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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