🐎 Horse GPS Art Around JRA Nakayama Racecourse 🗻
Kick off the New Year with a memorable blend of culture, history, and creativity on this 30km GPS art course centered around Nakayama Racecourse, one of the Japan Racing Association’s (JRA) premier venues. Located in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, Nakayama is celebrated as the stage for prestigious Grade 1 races like the Arima Kinen, Hopeful Stakes, and major steeplechases, making it a symbolic starting point for a horse-shaped GPS art course.
From Nakayama Racecourse, the course winds through diverse sections of Funabashi and neighboring Ichikawa City, capturing both urban vitality and cultural richness. Early in the course, walkers will pass Funabashihōten Station and Nishi-Funabashi Station, key transport hubs connecting the area to greater Tokyo. These transitions offer a mix of local scenery and commuter energy as you begin to trace the lines of your GPS artwork.
The first cultural highlights appear as you approach Yamanosengen Shrine and Kitakata Neno Shrine, local places of worship where visitors often pray for health, safety, and good fortune. Combining traditional shrine visits with the GPS art walk adds spiritual meaning to your year-start journey.
Midway, the course delivers a deeper sense of history at Hokekyoji Temple, an ancient temple complex with historic architecture and serene grounds. The path then continues past the JCHO Funabashi Central Hospital and heads toward educational and cultural attractions like the Chiba Museum of Science and Industry and the Kaii Higashiyama Memorial Museum, the latter celebrating one of Japan’s most beloved painters. These stops offer mentally enriching variations to your physical adventure.
Toward the finish, you’ll encounter Nikke Colton Plaza, a lively shopping and entertainment complex perfect for a post-walk break before you complete your GPS art masterpiece.
Funabashi and Ichikawa lie on flat terrain formed by the coastal plains near Tokyo Bay, making the course accessible for walkers and runners of varying levels. This blend of racing heritage, spiritual landmarks, urban culture, and scenic variety makes the 30km course a standout way to celebrate the Year of the Horse.
Whether you are a local resident or a visitor exploring Greater Tokyo, this horse-shaped GPS art course connects tradition, creativity, and exploration in one unforgettable New Year experience.
TOURISTS SPOT
- Nakayama Racecourse
- Funabashihōten Station
- Nishi-Funabashi Station
- Shimōsa-Nakayama Station
- Onigoe Station
- Keisei-Nishifuna Station
- Yamanosengen Shrine
- Kitakata Neno Shrine
- Hokekyoji Temple
- Nishifuna Neighborhood Park
- JCHO Funabashi Central Hospital
- Chiba Museum of Science and Industry
- Kaii Higashiyama Memorial
- Nikke Colton Plaza
REFFERENCE
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
