Jul 4, 2021
Later this month, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will feature a made-in-Japan sport that few people apart from enthusiasts have even heard of keirin.
It’s a type of race held on a steeply banked track, with nine cyclists covering around 2 kilometers at a mind-blowing pace. And although it’s one of four state-sanctioned sports in Japan where gambling is permitted along with powerboat, motorcycle and horse racing it has struggled to retain interest here beyond core fans.
The War on Wheels: Inside the Keirin and Japan’s Cycling Subculture, by Justin McCurry
288 pages
PEGASUS BOOKS
Yet there’s much that’s fascinating about keirin. Traditionally, riders zip around the track at up to 70 kph on old-school, hand-turned steel bikes with one gear and no brakes. Head-butting, shouldering and other forms of physical contact are permitted; spills and broken bones are common. And it’s not every rider for himself: Competitors form regional allian