Horse culture is not the first thing you think of in Japan, but the region of Tokachi in Hokkaido has a long tradition of agriculture and using draft horses for pulling plows. Now that tractors have replaced the need for horses, they keep their traditions alive through Ban’ei Horse Racing. The horses pull sleds on the 200 meter track that includes two hills that they must go over. The weight of the sleds their pulling can be up to one ton (2,204 lbs). Unlike traditional horse racing, where just the nose of the horse has to cross the finish line, the whole sled must cross the finish line to win. #ATWS2023 #Hokkaido #hokkaidoadventurelove #visitsapporo #japanadventure #japannature #visitjapan #poweredbyadventure #obihiro #tokachi #baneihorserace #banei #travel #tourism