[Playback 2016] Nanako Fujita’s Shy Pre-Debut Look—Her First Candid Moment

“I’m not used to having a camera pointed at me”

What had FRIDAY reported 10, 20, and 30 years ago? Looking back once again at the topics that were making headlines back then — [Playback Friday]. This time we feature the March 11, ’16 issue from 10 years ago: “I will debut on March 3, the day of Hinamatsuri — the first female jockey in 16 years, Nanako Fujita, reveals her tearful muscle training.”

Nanako Fujita (28), who made her jockey debut in 2016 as the seventh female JRA jockey in 16 years. She made a sudden retirement the year before last, and her career lasted only eight and a half years, but the achievements she left behind were so significant they are said to have changed the world of Japanese horse racing. This article interviewed her immediately after she passed the jockey license exam (descriptions in 《》 are quoted from past articles; ages and titles are those at the time).

《“Eh!? Th-that’s embarrassing~”》

When the magazine’s photographer said, “Look this way and smile,” her face instantly turned red. Rookie jockey Nanako Fujita (then 18) was completely fresh and innocent. More than 60 members of the press gathered for the announcement of the successful applicants for new jockeys that day. “I’m still not used to having a camera pointed at me,” Fujita said shyly.

《“I became interested in horses when I was in the sixth grade. I happened to watch a horse racing broadcast on our home TV and was captivated. I begged my father to take me to Tokyo Racecourse (Fuchu City) to see the horses, and their coats were so beautiful. That’s when I decided in my heart, ‘I will definitely become a jockey.’”》

After graduating from junior high school, she entered the horse racing school. However, the school was a full-boarding, male-centered society. As the only girl, Fujita seems to have gone through very difficult days there.

《“Even as a woman, I had to complete the same training menu as the men. The strength training was especially tough. Squats carrying a 20-kg barbell, and the crab-walk where you lower your hips and move sideways. In the assignment where we had to run a horse a set distance within a fixed time, all the other boys managed to do it but I was the only one who couldn’t clear it. I was so frustrated that I went back to my dorm room and cried alone.

We wake up at 5 every morning. Except for our day off on Mondays, we ride horses every day and live a self-catering life at the JRA Miho Training Center (Ibaraki Prefecture). My goal is Lisa Allpress, a female jockey from New Zealand who has achieved more than 1,000 wins.

I had the chance to talk with Allpress when she came to Japan last summer and received valuable advice. She told me, ‘For lightweight women to maintain their posture on horseback, it’s important to strengthen the muscles in your legs.’ Thanks to her words, I was able to get through the tough muscle training.”》

Her master trainer, Yasuhiro Nemoto, said of Fujita, “It’s good that she hates to lose. I want her to gain experience and learn to understand the feelings of the horse.”

“Every day is so full that I even forgot to give chocolate to Nemoto-sensei on Valentine’s Day,” Fujita laughed. Her debut race was scheduled for March 3, Hinamatsuri, at Kawasaki Racecourse in local racing. She said her dream was to become the first female jockey to win the Japan Derby.

《“Speaking of Japanese horse racing, it’s the Derby. I want to become a jockey who can win with a late charge.”》

Brilliant success and a sudden retirement

On March 3, 2016, Kawasaki Racecourse was swept up in a “Nanako Fever.” So many people gathered — 31 TV cameras and 137 members of the press from 63 companies — that the racecourse had to impose restrictions on coverage. Fujita recorded a best finish of second place that day, and her dignified riding was highly praised.

Until then, when it came to female jockeys, the pattern had been that even if they debuted with great fanfare, they would retire before achieving any notable success. Fujita was different. In the JRA she steadily piled up victories at a rapid pace — 6 wins in ’16, 14 in ’17, 27 in ’18, and 43 in ’19 — rewriting all previous records held by female jockeys. In ’19 she became the first female jockey to ride in a GI race (the February Stakes) and to win a graded race (the Capella Stakes).

In ’21, Manami Nagashima and Naho Furukawa also debuted in the JRA. There was even a race in which the three finished first, second, and third, and from that year on the presence of female jockeys in the horse racing world continued to grow. Among them, the pioneer Fujita stood out above the rest, and in July ’24 she announced her marriage to a male JRA employee. Her private life seemed to be going smoothly as well… but the incident occurred just three months later.

On October 9, ’24, Bunshun Online reported Fujita’s improper use of communication devices. The report stated that she had inappropriately used a smartphone multiple times inside the jockeys’ quarters. When the JRA conducted a hearing, it was discovered that she had made a false declaration in a previous investigation when bringing one in had been uncovered. On the 10th, she was suspended from riding pending a ruling by the adjudication committee, and on the same day Fujita applied for the cancellation of her jockey license. She retired as of the 11th. It was a sudden retirement that no one had foreseen.

It is said that the advancement of female jockeys brought about by Fujita’s achievements changed the horse racing world. Since ’21, female jockeys have been debuting almost every year, and as of February ’26 their number stands at six. Behind this is the increase in women aspiring to enter horse racing school, inspired by the “Nanako Fever” of ’16.

Since her retirement she has appeared at racecourses several times for events, but otherwise does not seem to have been particularly active. At a talk event held in April ’25 at Monbetsu Racecourse (Hidaka Town, Hokkaido), where she made her first public appearance after retiring, she revealed that she maintains her health through yoga and Pilates.