Watch the Japan Cup on TV and don’t miss out on the action in Fuchu, Tokyo.
This invitational race currently has French star Calandagan heading the early contenders, with the home challenge likely to be led by Danon Decile, Croix Du Nord and Masquerade Ball.
At a glance
Japan Cup 2025 date: 30 November 2025
Japan Cup TV coverage: Racing TV, Sky Sports Racing or NHK
The UK’s free racing broadcaster ITV and the ITVX streaming service will not be showing the Japan live, but those with access to Sky Sports Racing or a subscription to Racing TV will be able to watch full coverage of the race.
If you are in Japan, you will be able to watch the race on NHK, TV Tokyo, or the Fuji Television channels.
Japanracing.jp will also broadcast races from the Japan Cup meeting online.
How to watch the Japan Cup live from anywhere
A VPN is your ultimate companion to watching horse racing safely online, wherever you are in the world.
A Virtual Private Network will unblock the geo-restrictions you find on most streaming platforms, so you can get your usual coverage even while abroad. A VPN will also keep you secure while online, using encrypted connections to ensure your data remains private.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. We’d suggest using a paid-for service, such as NordVPN, which our colleagues at TechRadar rate as the best VPN service in the business. You can try 100% risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee, 24/7 support and, right now, a big discount.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. NordVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access.
3. Then head over to your chosen provider (e.g. TV Tokyo) on your browser or device and enjoy the livestream.
What is the Japan Cup?
The Japan Cup is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan, held each year on the last Sunday of November. It is run over a distance of 2,400 meters (about 1½ miles) with total prize money reaching almost £5.5m.
Similar to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Melbourne Cup and the Breeders’ Cup, the Japan Cup is an international invitational event, with top-performing horses aged three and above being invited from around the world.
What time does the Japan Cup start?
The Japan Cup gets underway at 6.40am British time (3.40pm Japanese time) on 30 November 2025.
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