Muro Shrine Yabusame (Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property)

About this event

Designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kanagawa Prefecture, the "Muro Shrine Yabusame" (Horseback Archery) is conducted according to ancient customs as a Shinto ritual during the annual grand festival of Muro Shrine on November 3 every year. Passed down at Muro Shrine in Yamakita, Yamakita Town, this horseback archery tradition is said to possess a history of over 800 years, originating from an anecdote in which Yoshihide Kawamura was spared from punishment during the era of Minamoto no Yoritomo thanks to his exquisite skill in horseback archery. In the past, it was also performed as a divination ritual to foretell the next year's rice harvest based on arrows hitting the target, and it has been preserved and handed down by local farmers. The Yabusame ritual is conducted in the sequence of "Baba-kake" (bareback horse galloping), "Yabusame Kaishi no Shiki" (opening ceremony), "Baba-iri no Gi" (entering the course), "Kori-tori no Gi" (purification ritual), "Yabusame Hajimeshiki" (ceremony to commence archery), and "Kisha" (mounted archery), concluding with a "Termination Report" in front of the worship hall. In particular, the "Baba-kake," where riders in happi coats gallop on bareback horses, the "Yabusame Kaishi no Shiki," where they change into formal attire and receive purification from a Shinto priest, and the "Kisha," where they shoot at targets, are thrilling highlights. In the morning, flower floats and portable shrines parade through the Yamakita district, enlivening the festival even further.

Venue

Muro Shrine

1200 Yamakita, Yamakita-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-0113