Clad with a medieval warrior-like costume, holding his bow while riding a running equine, the archer tries to wow the expectators by hitting the bulls eye, proving his knack in Yabusame.
Yabusame, or mounted archery, is a less-popular sport in Japan compared to Kyudo (archery with plain bow and arrow). The sport is tough, as it requires skills in precision target shooting like archery, and equestrian skills, not to mention the persistent concentration and great balance.
The sport began as a military training for the samurai and bushi under the shogunate (military government). Aside from learning how to fight with swords, horsemanship and archery were the skills combined to equip these warriors for a battle. It also strengthens the mental strength and devotion of the fighters, as a Shinto ritual.
It started out to be a sport when the shogun of Kamakura named Minamoto no Yoritomo studied and promoted Yabusame as an art. Starting on 1187, he ordered that Yabusame will be performed as a ritual in Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine.
Yabusame as a Ritual
There are three lined targets within a 255-meter path. Each target is placed onto bamboo rods with 70-meter interval.
Three archers participate in the ritual. They will start the horse once the people in both ends of the track raise their flags, one is red, and the other is white. At around 20 seconds, the archer will shoot the targets with full focus and strength. If the arrow cannot be shot in time, the archer has to drop it and use another arrow to shoot the next target.
Yabusame is their way of praying for peace. The arrows and targets met for a successful shot are treasured as good luck charms.
This is just one of the religious rituals anyone, especially samurai enthusiasts, must see. It's full of excitement and action, you wouldn't think you are actually participating in a religious activity. See it in Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura every September 16!
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