JRA commercial roundup. Cool commercials from the Japan Racing Association featuring racehorses.
In recent JRA commercials, you often see ads aimed at getting younger people interested in horse racing.
They range from friendly, story-driven pieces designed to spark interest in the sport itself to spots announcing major races.
Many of these commercials feature footage of racehorses thundering down the track, which I think catches a lot of viewers’ eyes.
In this article, we’ll introduce all the JRA commercials that have aired so far, so be sure to check them out.
JRA Commercial Compilation: Cool Japan Racing Association ads featuring racehorses (1–10)
JRA Hello, Special Times. “THE ‘LIVE’ IMAGINATION” editionMasami Nagasawa, Ai Mikami, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Ryoma Takeuchi
This is a commercial promoting the excitement of horse racing with the keyword “Horse racing gets you hyped.” It rapidly showcases race highlights, while the featured cast are shown watching with sweaty palms and growing frenzy.
From their reactions, you can really feel just how thrilling horse racing can be.
It’s the kind of commercial that makes even people who’ve never watched a race think, “I want to visit a racecourse at least once.”
JRA Hello, Special Times. “How Many People Can You Invite in Spring” EditionNEW!Masami Nagasawa, Ai Mikami, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Ryoma Takeuchi
This commercial features the four familiar faces from JRA’s ads competing to see how many people they can invite to horse racing.
Through gourmet food, the races themselves, merchandise, and picnics, each of the four invites friends and people around them to the track in their own way.
By showcasing the many ways to enjoy horse racing, this CM likely made many viewers think, “I’d like to visit a racecourse.”
JRA HOT HOLIDAYS! 2021 “#65 SEE YOU! Arima Kinen” VersionTori Matsuzaka, Yuya Yagira, Mitsuki Takahata, Tao Tsuchiya, Wakana Aoi, Taishi Nakagawa
In the promotional commercial for the Arima Kinen held in December, they use a style that looks back on various scenes from the commercials aired throughout the year.
It’s a year-in-review type of CM, perfect for airing at the end of the year.
One of the charms is that you can see a variety of appearances by the cast all at once, including Mitsuki Takahata.
The background music features Kaela Kimura’s “HOLIDAYS.”
JRA FUN 70th Anniversary Web CM ‘DEAR HEROES’ Edition
The title of Horse of the Year, awarded to the racehorse that performed the best that year, is something many racing fans care about.
This commercial, released to celebrate the JRA’s 70th anniversary, introduces the Horse of the Year winners throughout history set to a powerful track.
Lined up in order from Hakuryou, the first Horse of the Year, to Equinox, the 2023 Horse of the Year, it vividly conveys the history of Japanese racing.
The composition is by Yuji Miyagawa, and the powerful sound—reflecting his background as a guitarist in a hardcore punk band—is another compelling highlight.
JRA 2007 CM Song
Remioromen’s “Akanesora,” which was used as the JRA’s theme song in 2007, is the band’s ninth single.
With its gentle melody, it somehow tightens your chest and leaves you feeling a bit sentimental.
While many spring songs are exciting and uplifting, this one conveys the melancholy of spring—a bittersweet feeling that’s hard to put into words.
It’s the perfect song to listen to in early spring when a chill still lingers— not sad, but wistfully poignant.
JRA Arima Kinen Promotion “JOin us AR1MA” VersionJO1
This commercial conveys that there are many ways to enjoy a day at the racetrack by showing the JO1 members having an absolute blast.
Because it airs as the Arima Kinen approaches, their bright expressions not only highlight the fun but also evoke the excitement that something new is about to begin.
The song that further elevates the sense of joy depicted in the footage is JO1’s “JOin us!!.” Released on December 9, 2024, its poppy, energetic sound really stands out.
It’s a song with a positive vibe that gives a boost of energy to people working hard every day.
JRA × GENERATIONS「MY GENERATION DERBY Ver.」GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE
This is the JRA and GENERATIONS collaboration commercial, “MY GENERATION DERBY Ver.” The members gather at a racetrack and showcase singing and dancing, making the footage feel just like one of their music videos.
Intercut with scenes of racehorses sprinting, it’s a superb collaboration that blends the appeal of GENERATIONS with the excitement of horse racing.
The song featured in the video is a single track titled “MY GENERATION.” Written and composed by Masafumi Gotoh of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, it pairs upbeat, guitar-driven sounds with optimistic lyrics.