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The young archers’ dignified appearance as they shoot arrows from horseback and their colorful costumes are well worth seeing.
The yabusame horseback archery ritual at Izumo Iwai Shrine is a tradition that has been passed down for more than 950 years. It is said to have begun when Minamoto no Yoshiie dedicated a yabusame performance here after pacifying the Oshu region.
Today, it is held twice a year: in spring on the second Sunday of March and in fall on November 3. Both events take place at the shrine’s dedicated riding ground, making this one of the few yabusame rituals of its kind in Japan.
The fall yabusame ritual is performed on the day of the main festival by three horses known as the First Horse, Second Horse, and Third Horse. The archers, known as noriko, are selected from elementary and junior high school students in the town and practice repeatedly in preparation for the festival. The archery course is approximately 660 feet long. The sight of the boys shooting arrows from horses galloping at considerable speed is impressive, and each successful hit is met with enthusiastic applause from the crowd. Having children serve as the archers is a distinctive feature of the yabusame ritual at Izumo Iwai Shrine. The colorful costumes and various feats performed on horseback are also highlights.
The First Horse, Second Horse, and Third Horse form a procession for the ritual offering
A young archer cuts a dignified figure as he shoots an arrow from horseback
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Watching the young riders shoot arrows while galloping on horseback was so smooth and steady. You can tell it takes a lot of training to reach that level.
