Events:
Cherry Blossom Forecast 2024
https://www.japan-guide.com/sakura/
https://weathernews.jp/sakura/ (Japanese version only)  
https://tenki.jp/sakura/expectation/ (Japanese version only)
https://www.otenki.jp/sp/art/sakura/ (Japanese version only)

when and where to see cherry blossoms (Japanese version only):
https://hanami.walkerplus.com/
https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/hanami/
https://www.jalan.net/theme/sakura/

Monday, September 17, 2012

Yabusame-shinji

Typhoon No.16(Sanba) passed over Okinawa this morning. Electricity was cut off to over 74,500 houses. Although the typhoon didn't hit Kyushu, it continues to bring gusty winds and heavy rains to Kyushu, Shikoku and Kansai regions. Sanba is heading for South Korea. For people in the Korean Peninsula, please be careful about typhoon related information.

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
Horseback archery by jeremydeades /flickr





in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2011-04-17


流鏑馬 / Yabusame
流鏑馬 / Yabusame by ys* /flickr

 
流鏑馬 / Yabusame
流鏑馬 / Yabusame by ys* /flickr






 in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2011-04-17

流鏑馬 / Yabusame
流鏑馬 / Yabusame by ys* /flickr





















in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2011-04-17
Yabusame in Kamakura
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
Yabusame in Kamakura by chaojikazu /flickr













archer in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2005-09-16










Yabusame in Kamakura
Yabusame in Kamakura by Steve Nagata /flickr

P1000749
P1000749 by jeremydeades /flickr

in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2004-04-18  


















in Kanagawa Prefecture
shooting date:2006-05-28



GOTCHA!
GOTCHA! by maggie loves hopey /flickr











Yabusame target successfully hit, Tokyo
shooting date:2006-04-15






Yabusame competitor
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
Yabusame Panorama by nickyfern /flickr


Yabusame Riders
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
Yabusame Bullseye Blackeye by nickyfern /flickr
























female archer
shooting date:2010-09-20

Yabusame Lady
Yabusame Lady by Glenn Waters ぐれんin Japan. /flickr

 
P1050390
P1050390 by dacheket /flickr







female archer at Nakamura-hachimangu Shrine in Mohka City, Tochigi prefecture
shooting date: 2010-09-19




Yabusame judges
Yabusame judges by maggie loves hopey /flickr







 Yabusame judges, Tokyo
shooting date: 2006-04-15
Yabusame
Yabusame by malfet_ /flickr


















 yabusame in Suizenji(水前寺),  Kumamoto Prefecture
 shooting date: 2010-11-06



























Horseback archery in Dornogovi, Mongolia
DSCF1189
DSCF1189 by [Satbir] /flickr

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