Yabusame: Japanese archery in action
Ever tried hitting a target with a bow and arrow? It's much harder than it looks. Okay, now try it while sitting astride a horse. Even harder, right? Now try to hit a tiny foot-wide target while riding a horse at breakneck speeds down a narrow runway.
Welcome to the art of yabusame -- archery on horseback.
Legend has it that the famed general Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199) organized the first yabusame tournaments as ritual for the Shinto gods. Even today, public yabusame ceremonies are held semi-annually at shrines throughout Japan, most notably Kamakura's Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (where the sport was inaugurated) and Nikko's Toshogu, where we dropped by to watch the festivities on October 16.
To go to Toshogu
Toshogu in Nikko, which is a great place to visit even if dudes aren't shooting arrows from horseback, is located roughly two hours north of Tokyo. Yabusame tournaments are held there every May and October. Toshogu is unique among Japanese shrines. The grounds are spacious and the facilities spectacular, with the buildings and gates festooned with literally thousands of opulently sculpted and gilded animals, plants and creatures -- both real and imagined. It is hard to imagine a better backdrop for watching a competition of samurai archers.
The yabusame track at Nikko measures some 219 meters long -- twice the length of an American football field -- but just 1.8 meters wide. At full gallop, a rider covers the distance in a matter of seconds. The runs are over almost before you have a chance to register them. The shrill screaming of the riders, however, seems to hang in the air even after they've long passed. The targets, which are rigged to burst open in a shower of confetti when properly struck, are arranged at three spots along the runway. The riders fire distinctive "turnip-shaped" arrows that whistle when fired, enhancing the aural experience.
Yabusame is perhaps more aptly described as stylized ceremony than sport. There is much pomp and circumstance: Riders and steeds go through an extended blessing ceremony and are dressed head to toe in exquisite traditional finery. This makes it the perfect sort of sport for entertaining visiting dignitaries. Former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush are among those who have been entertained with yabusame demonstrations.
But you don't have to be a head of state to enjoy this most traditional of Japanese sports. Just consult the yabusame schedules at the shrines listed above and drop by to watch the spit-fire horse-riders blast their darts.
