Japanese Traditional Archery On Horseback

If you are going to be in Japan on March 21 and March 22, you will have the chance to not only enjoy the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Season in Japan, but also to see the “Bajo Yumikurabe”, also known as “Yabusame” when done in a religious context. That is, you will get a chance to see a Traditional Japanese Archery on Horseback Competition.

The competition will be held on March 22 at Odawara Castle in Kanagawa Prefecture (in the Kanto region not too far from Tokyo). On March 21st will be the practice and qualifying rounds. Personally, I don’t like huge crowds so I would probably show up on March 21 and enjoy the warm up and qualifying rounds.

One big advantage to coming on the 22nd will be the events for kids offered. Pony rides and archery experience for kids are both scheduled. 

The exact location will be in Odawara Joshi Park, Ninomaru Hiroba. The event is scheduled to go on in the case of light rain, but may be cancelled or postponed depending on the weather.

Here’s a little amateur video of the event I found on youtube which should give you a feeling for what it looks like.