Weekly Schedule (Mon.6/3-Sun.6/9)

Memory of a motorboat racing

Motorboat racing is another gambling similar to horse racing in Japan. We bet on the result of racing, same as horse racing. I have an experience to bet motorboat racing when I was twenties. On that day, I went to a racing course on the Tokyo Bay coast by taking trains for an hour.

When I arrived the destination and was walking toward the building the betting ticket shops were in, I found there were some booths at the square in front of the building. Many people had been gathered for each booth. I felt curious and joined one of the booths. At there, a middle age man had stood on a rostrum and had addressed his analysis of racing. He, looked like an expert on gambling, addressed us fluently by using miniature models of boats. I was caught in his confidenceful story. But strangely, he did not explicit the most important information, prediction of the final ranks.

After finishing the presentation, many of the audience walked up to the man and be handed a small piece of paper in exchange for 100 Yen coin (1 US Dollar). I, watching this scene, understood that he is a tipster and selling his prediction for 100 Yen. Then I also bought the small piece of paper. After buying a betting ticket in accordance with the revelation, I went to the gallery facing the sea to watch the racing.

The result of betting was my lose. How was the game was far from the guy's story. Though I cannot blame the guy because gambling should be a self-responsibility, I returned to the booth with an interest that how he would explain about this result. But surprisingly, neither a guy, nor booth was already there. The square had been back to a silent place without remnant of the excitement.

Now I understand that the guy was not an expert on gambling, but a kind of street performer who make people pleaser with smart talking and stage props. Even the first man who bought a prediction paper might have been one of his colleagues.

In this way, I was totally deceived by a tipster, but I remember that day was a sunny and quite comfortable. Released from tiring office works, united with other geeks, and screamed "Go! Go!", this is my good memory.