Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture performs Yabusame(horseback archery) as part of the shrine's annual festival on September 16th and as part of the Kamakura Festival in April. The annual festival is held from September 14th to 16th. An archer on a running horse shoots three arrows with a turnip-shaped head at three wooden targets. Yabusame was one of practices to hone warrior skills. Currently, Yabusame events are held as a Shinto ritual at shrines in various parts of Japan and attract many tourists.
I recently came across a sentence as an explanation for Yabusame like this:
Mounted samurai shoot arrows at peasants. They use dummy targets these days though.
It's a lie. However, there are some records that some warriors shot arrows at peasants.
Dog-shooting called Inu oumono was also one of the practices. Although padded or blunted arrows were used as a way of preventing injury to the dogs, they must have had pain. Of course this practice is not done now.
It is said the shrine's annual festival were derived from Hojo-e(放生会) that MINAMOTO no Yoritomo(1147-1199) held on the 15th day of the 8th month(in the lunar calendar) in 1187. Yabusame was also performed at this event.Hojoe is a religious ritual in which captive animals are released into the wild to admonish against the taking of life. This ritual is also held on the 16th.
The Hirosaki Castle International Horseback Archery Competition was held as part of the Hirosaki swastika Festival in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture on September 16th. Archers from the United States, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, Iran, South Korea and Japan were going to participate in the competition. The archer from South Korea won the competition.
Horseback archery by jeremydeades /flickr |
in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2011-04-17
流鏑馬 / Yabusame by ys* /flickr |
流鏑馬 / Yabusame by ys* /flickr |
in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2011-04-17
流鏑馬 / Yabusame by ys* /flickr |
in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2011-04-17
Yabusame in Kamakura by chaojikazu /flickr |
in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2011-04-17
in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2005-09-16
Yabusame in Kamakura by chaojikazu /flickr |
archer in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2005-09-16
Yabusame in Kamakura by Steve Nagata /flickr |
P1000749 by jeremydeades /flickr |
in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2004-04-18
in Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2006-05-28
GOTCHA! by maggie loves hopey /flickr |
Yabusame target successfully hit, Tokyo
shooting date:2006-04-15
Yabusame competitor by maggie loves hopey /flickr |
archer and judges, Tokyo
shooting date:2006-04-15
Horihachiman-jinja Shrine(堀八幡神社) in Akiota-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture
shooting date:2007-10-07
Yabusame Panorama by nickyfern /flickr |
Yabusame Riders by nickyfern /flickr |
Archers at Horihachiman-jinja Shrine(堀八幡神社) in Akiota-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture
shooting date:2007-10-07
An archer shoots an arrow at a wooden target at Horihachiman-jinja Shrine(堀八幡神社) in Akiota-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture. shooting date:2007-10-07
Yabusame Bullseye Blackeye by nickyfern /flickr |
female archer
shooting date:2010-09-20
Yabusame Lady by Glenn Waters ぐれんin Japan. /flickr |
P1050390 by dacheket /flickr |
female archer at Nakamura-hachimangu Shrine in Mohka City, Tochigi prefecture
shooting date: 2010-09-19
Yabusame judges by maggie loves hopey /flickr |
Yabusame judges, Tokyo
shooting date: 2006-04-15
Yabusame by malfet_ /flickr |
yabusame in Suizenji(水前寺), Kumamoto Prefecture
shooting date: 2010-11-06
Horseback archery in Dornogovi, Mongolia
DSCF1189 by [Satbir] /flickr |
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