[Time Travel in Kanagawa] Autumn Traditional Performing Arts 2023: Yabusame (mounted archery)
Yabusame, a martial art passed down to the present day, involves shooting arrows at targets from atop a galloping horse. Spectators are captivated by the magnificent and courageous spectacle of performers who have mastered both horsemanship and traditional Japanese archery. This time, we introduce three Yabusame performances in Kanagawa Prefecture that are also noteworthy as Shinto rituals.
The Yabusame (mounted archery) ritual at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine has been performed since the Kamakura period.
On September 16, 2023, the annual Yabusame (mounted archery) ritual, a staple of the autumn festival, was held at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, located in the heart of the ancient capital of Kamakura, for the first time in four years.
For samurai, the skill of shooting arrows while mounted on a horse running at full speed was indispensable. During the Kamakura period, Minamoto no Yoritomo promoted the training of martial arts through yabusame (mounted archery), establishing mounted archery as a formal art of the samurai class. Furthermore, it is said that the fact that samurai were able to demonstrate their archery and horsemanship skills in front of the gods and large crowds at a major annual event to pray for peace and national security enhanced the mental strength and faith of the samurai.
An essential part of the annual Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine festival, which takes place over three days starting on September 14th, is the Yabusame (mounted archery) ritual on the final day. Watched by the crowd, the head of the Ogasawara School of Archery and Horsemanship, which carries on an 800-year tradition, and his disciples, dressed in hunting attire reminiscent of Kamakura-era samurai, perform the ritual.
The riding arena is approximately 250 meters long, and targets made of cedar planks, each 55 centimeters square, are set up in three locations, sandwiched between bamboo poles about 1.8 meters high. The power and breath of the horses galloping swiftly across the arena, and the skill of the archers who hit the three targets with beautiful movements in accordance with the traditional Ogasawara style, are a must-see.
[Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine Yabusame Ritual]
• Date and Time: September 16, 2023 (Saturday), 13:00-16:00 *This event has ended.
Venue: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (grounds) [2-1-31 Yukinoshita, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture]
• Website here
The Yabusame (mounted archery) ritual at Samukawa Shrine is held to pray for peace throughout the land and a bountiful harvest.
A beautiful hunter, clad in hunting attire and holding a bow and arrow, is riding his horse at a normal pace.
At Samukawa Shrine, the only shrine in Japan dedicated to the guardian deity of protection from all directions and considered the Ichinomiya (first-ranked shrine) of Sagami Province, a Yabusame (mounted archery) ritual was also held. We introduce the Yabusame ritual, which was performed on September 19, 2023, the day before the annual festival, in prayer for peace throughout the land and a bountiful harvest.
Samukawa Shrine is located between Ebina and Chigasaki, near the Sagami River, and is a 5-minute walk from Miyayama Station on the JR Sagami Line.
Source: Samukawa Shrine - YouTube Channel [Samukawa Shrine] Samukawa Shrine from the Sky, 2023
Yabusame, a mounted archery performance held as an offering or prayer to the gods, follows a sequence of events including "Shinto ritual, mounted archery, Shinto ritual." First, the minds and bodies of those participating in the ritual are purified, followed by the horse riding grounds where the mounted archery will take place.
A Shinto priest is walking along the riding grounds, purifying them in preparation for the mounted archery competition.
This tradition also has a long history, with records indicating it was practiced during the Kamakura period. It was traditionally passed down through generations by a family known as "Uma-dayu," who presided over the Yabusame ritual, but it is now performed by the Takeda-ryu Public Interest Incorporated Association, Dai Nippon Kyuba-kai. The Shinto priests themselves also serve as archers.
The archer and horse walk around the riding arena before the mounted archery competition.
It's not just magnificent and spectacular, but the silence is also a highlight. The emphasis is less on the archer hitting the target with their whistling arrow, and more on the act of shooting towards the target.
The archer shoots at a target placed to the left while riding a galloping horse.
[Samukawa Shrine Yabusame Ritual]
• Date and Time: September 19, 2023 (Tue) 14:00 - *This event has ended.
• Venue: Samukawa Shrine (horse riding grounds west of the main shrine) [3916 Miyayama, Samukawa-machi, Koza-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture]
• Website here
There's still time! Yabusame (mounted archery) event in November.
On November 3, 2023, the annual festival of Muro Shrine in Yamakita Town will feature the Kanagawa Prefecture-designated intangible folk cultural property, "Muro Shrine's Yabusame (mounted archery)."
Its origin is said to be based on the story (according to "Shinpen Sagami no Kuni Fudoki Ko" and "Azuma Kagami") of Kawamura Yoshihide, who sided with the Taira clan during Minamoto no Yoritomo's uprising at Ishibashiyama. He had his territory confiscated and was about to be executed, but was spared execution due to his masterful skills in mounted archery held in Kamakura, and was able to return to his former territory.
The Yabusame (mounted archery) at Muro Shrine is said to have continued for over 800 years. Why not experience this history firsthand at the venue?
[Yabusame (mounted archery) at Muro Shrine]
・Date and time: November 3, 2023 (Friday/Holiday)
14:00 - Galloping around the track, 14:20 - Ceremony to begin Yabusame (mounted archery), 14:30 - Ceremony to enter the track.
14:50 - Ritual of purification, 15:00 - Yabusame (mounted archery) opening ceremony
Venue: Muro Shrine [1200 Yamakita, Yamakita-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture]
• Website here
Text by Mai Shimura (Editor/Writer)
