Yabusame 流鏑馬 Japanese mounted archery

Yabusame (流鏑馬, Yabusame?) is a type of Japanese archery, one that is performed while riding a horse. The archer shoots a special "turnip-headed" arrow at a wooden target.

This style of archery has its origins at the beginning of the Kamakura period. Minamoto no Yoritomo became alarmed at the lack of archery skills his samurai had. He organized yabusame as a form of practice.

Nowadays, yabusame is performed at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura. It is also performed in Samukawa and on the beach at Zushi, as well as other locations

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Yabusame
• 流鏑馬
• Japanese
• mounted
• archery

[Ryokushindo]

After being to Japan many times, one of the things that struck me the most, is that the Japanese people loves the Japanese culture, and they take great care of it. Unlike most occidental country.

[benelliman]

Japanese culture is very unique.

I wish he shot the arrow closer than 5-10 feet. Riding and shooting a target closer to 25-30 feet away would be awesome!

I'm sure these archers can do it also

[screenpuller]

This is skill unlike any other, A galloping horse, stringing & shooting an arrow... HITTING the target! The Japanese have some of the best archers out there. A war was even won when an archer sank a ship with his arrow... amazing! Thank you Japan! :)

[420Rokn]

He mentions something about an old samurai war chant. What is it?

[sheelamay3]

@ihavekankles

Why Japanese are racist??????

[ihavekankles]

@sheelamay3

No, the Japanese are racist. Not just protective of their culture.

[sheelamay3]

@ihavekankles

protect culture=racism?????

[ihavekankles]

@TempestDust

That's probably because they are. Everyone knows the Japanese has a reputation for racism.

[JohnnyWishbone85]

@Ryokushindo

Yup. Europe used to have a martial arts tradition just as rich as Asia, but as time and technology progressed, it was discarded and forgotten.

[JohnnyWishbone85]

@benelliman

20-30 feet is the practical limit for accurate archery from horseback, and most of the cultures (hun, magyar, mongolian) who practiced it preferred to do it at a canter, rather than a gallop (though the latter was done, sometimes you had to). Beyond that, you're doing massed fire, which the mongolians were REALLY good at.

[TempestDust]

@Ryokushindo Yep, the Japanese sure love and protect their culture and national identity to a much, much higher degree than western countries. Take for example the frequent protest rallys held in the larger cities against illegal Korean and Chinese immigrants. If such manifestations were held in my country of Sweden against other scandinavian countries those people would be labelled racists, facists, despicable and inhuman. Not to mention protests against illegals from other parts of the world..