 Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in April 1952, when the first race was held at Ōmura Kyōtei Stadium in Ōmura City, Nagasaki Prefecture.In April 2010, to promote the sport to a wide variety of people as well as internationally, the Kyotei Promotion Association began referring to the sport as BOAT RACE, and the organization itself was renamed the BOAT RACE Promotion Association.There are 24 kyōtei stadiums in Japan, all of which refer to themselves as BOAT RACE courses.