About this event
The largest event in Kimotsuki Town, held in conjunction with 'Yabusame' (horseback archery), a traditional ritual passed down for approximately 900 years at Shijukusho Shrine in Kimotsuki Town, Kagoshima Prefecture. Unlike yabusame practiced across the country as a martial art or competition, it is conducted according to ancient rites as a fortune-telling ritual for the year's harvest. On the day of the festival, stalls line the pedestrian-only zone near Shijukusho Shrine, and downtown Shintomi bustles with various attractions such as stage shows and specialty goods shops. In particular, the archer for the Koyama Yabusame in Kimotsuki Town is uniquely chosen each year as a second-year junior high school boy, who undertakes about one month of practice before the main event. Dressed in traditional hunting attire (kariginu), sprinting down an approximately 330-meter track with a sacred horse while shooting 9 arrows is a spectacular sight. On the day of the festival, free distribution of eggane (spiny lobster) miso soup will be held in the town center of Shintomi, attracting many visitors. A warrior procession parade and performances of the 'Yassan (Yabusame) Dance' will also be held, enlivening the festival atmosphere.
Source website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Shijukusho Shrine
5580 Shintomi, Kimotsuki-cho, Kimotsuki-gun, Kagoshima 893-1207
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