Yabusame (horseback archery) is performed on January 7 every year as a Shinto ritual praying for fortune improvement and health and career success of boys.
In general, shooting arrows on foot is called busha or obisha.
Rokugo Shrine’s yabusame is performed in busha style. Boys wearing hakama with a sword at their side walk along the shooting range and reach close to the targets.
A pair of boys directs the arrows and shoots through the target with eight eyes in the center circle called happonirami (sharp look in all directions).
In recent years, a new shooting style has been adopted in which a boy gets on a wooden horse in front of happonirami and shoots the arrow to hit the target.
This unique busha event performed by children is a Tokyo-designated intangible folk cultural property.
