Nanako Fujita

Nanako Fujita (; born 9 August 1997) is a retired Japanese jockey. When she earned her jockey license in 2016, she became the first woman to receive a jockey license in Japan in 16 years. Fujita enjoyed a rising career, quickly becoming the country's most successful female jockey. In 2024, she stunned her fan base after retiring from racing suddenly over a controversy regarding phone use.

Biography Nanako Fujita grew up in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture. Her family was not involved in the horse racing industry. After discovering horse racing on television in the sixth grade, Fujita decided to become a jockey. In 2013, Fujita enrolled in jockey school at age 15. She made her racing debut three years later. She marked her first win on 24 March 2016. That year, she took part in the 2017 International Mixed Doubles Jockey Challenge in Macau. Later that year, she would become the first female jockey to win a Graded race in Japan when she won the Capella Stakes. On 30 June 2019, she won the Women Jockey's World Cup for Japan in Stockholm, Sweden at Bro Park. Later that summer, she travelled to the United Kingdom to race in the Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse.

In 2021, Fujita took part in the International Jockeys Challenge in Riyadh. She placed fourth in the event. Prior to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Fujita participated in the torch relay.

Fujita's 2024 season would be plagued with injuries. In July, she announced her upcoming marriage to a JRA racing official. On 10 August 2024, Fujita participated in the 2024 Shergar Cup at Ascot. She would mark six wins across the season. Under the policy commonly deemed "jockey jail", jockeys are not permitted to use their phones during this time for any reason, even to talk to their families. The accusations leveled by Bunshun against Fujita concerned infractions Fujita had previously admitted to the JRA previously the year earlier.

In April 2025, Fujita made her first public appearance after her retirement. Appearing at Monbetsu Racecourse, Fujita apologized for "causing you all so much trouble".