Yabusame (traditional Japanese mounted archery) at Kippo Hachiman Shrine in Kamogawa City

Date: Sunday, September 27th, 2023, around 3:30 PM
Location: Nakano, Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture
Parking is available at Nagasa Gakuen and Kokuhobyo Hospital. Expect congestion, so please arrive with plenty of time to spare.

The "Yabusame of Kippo Hachiman" is held annually on the last Sunday of September as part of the festival of Hachiman Shrine in the Kippō district, conducted in a traditional manner as a sacred ritual. According to shrine tradition, it dates back to the mid-Kamakura period. Riders gallop along a 210-meter course and shoot arrows at three targets, repeating this three times.

A notable feature is the distance to the targets. The primary purpose of the event is to pray for a bountiful harvest and to predict the success or failure of crops. It is believed that the omens from the heavens (divine messages) are conveyed not just by hitting the target but also by the outcome of the arrows, making misses significant as well. The archers (negi) are required to purify themselves through a week of ascetic practices.