The JKA has announced that a cohort of international sprinters will again be invited to participate in Japanese domestic keirin, with the return of the Keirin World Series in 2027.

Details are limited at this early stage; but the Series will consist of eight events, down from 10 in 2026 – taking place from September to November.

There will be a single G3 event, taking place at Beppu in mid October, with other events at the lower F1 or F2 levels. The final day at Beppu will see special one-off races for both men and women, with the men’s race increased to 9 participants from the usual 7.

The guest riders for 2027 will be named in due course. Don’t be surprised to see some of the same names next year: Japan’s gamblers are said to value familiarity, and the JKA has often been keen to invite riders back.

Opportunities to see the foreign guests pitted against the very best Japanese stars have been severely limited by factors such as the relatively low event classifications, and unfortunate calendar clashes.

None of Japan’s elite men has graced a Keirin World Series race this year; and we have only seen Mina Sato on one occasion.

With only one event remaining in the 2026 series, leading woman Ellesse Andrews has not been beaten by a single Japanese rider in her 19 races; and only one Japanese pro has finished ahead of leading man Harrie Lavreysen – Kota Matsuzaki snatched a second place in a race won by Joe Truman.

A September start date would mean that participants could also ride in the UCI Track World Championships, taking place in Paris from 26-30 August, as part of a French ‘super worlds’ next year; but the lucky invitees may have to forego racing in early events in Europe’s ‘six day’ season.