Once every 3 year centuries old Japanese Archery Festival – Hagihiyoshi Yabusame 萩日吉神社流鏑馬祭

Once every 3 year centuries old Japanese Archery Festival – Hagihiyoshi Yabusame 萩日吉神社流鏑馬祭

Yabusame is a Japanese archery ritual with deep samurai roots. Yabusame is done at shrines to pray for happiness, good harvests, and peace. Before they were renown swordsmen, samurai were primarily mounted archers. Yabusame was a way to practice and maintain their warrior skills during times of peace.

In Tokigawa there is special Yabusame demonstration performed once every 3 years (2026, 2029, 2032,, etc…). The festival started in 1233 between families of two old towns some of whom were vassals of a legendary warrior of the Genpei Wars – Kiso Yoshinaka (1154-1184). Before the Yabusame there’s a display of Kagura (sacred Shinto dance) at Hagihiyoshi Shrine.

#japan #samurai #dance