Tsuwano, a small town in western Shimane Prefecture, is known for castle ruins, a major Inari shrine and rich cultural traditions. Cherry blossom viewing season (from late March to mid-April) is one of the most popular times to visit Tsuwano because of the annual Yabusame Festival—a demonstration of traditional mounted archery held on a course lined with cherry blossom trees. Typically held on the first Sunday of April, this is one of the most famous festivals in Tsuwano.
A Samurai Heritage and Shinto Ritual
Photo by: Discover Shimane Yabusame is one style to pray for good harvests, peace and health.
Mounted archery is over 1,000 years old in Japan. It was an essential skill for samurai and an act of prayer performed at Shinto shrines. There are different styles of mounted archery in Japan. Yabusame is performed to pray for good harvests, peace and health.
Tsuwano’s Yabusame Festival takes place at Washibara Hachimangu Shrine, which boasts a yabusame course that is over 400 years old. Dressed in outfits styled after clothes from Japan’s Kamakura period (1185 – 1333), riders gallop their horses down the course and shoot at three wooden targets, attempting to break them with direct hits. This task is more difficult now because modern horses are larger and finish the course faster. The festival usually consists of a morning and afternoon demonstration with other ceremonies held beforehand.
Spectators watch the yabusame from a designated area next to the course. Many photographers join this crowd to capture a shot of the riders against a backdrop of cherry blossoms.
Views of Old Tsuwano
Photo by: PIXTA/ PIXSTAR Stop by the Heritage Center and staff can guide you on what else to see and do in town.
The Tsuwano Japan Heritage Center—a small museum in the center of town—offers multilingual explanations of local cultural traditions. Spot the Hyakkeizu (One Hundred Landscapes of Tsuwano), paintings from the late 19th century that portray life in feudal Tsuwano. One painting shows a mounted archer participating in the Yabusame Festival and others illustrate the cherry blossoms at Washibara Hachimangu Shrine. These paintings, which speak to the historic significance of the shrine and festival, are one reason why Washibara Hachimangu is a designated Important Cultural Property.
Visiting sites portrayed in the Hyakkeizu is a popular sightseeing activity in Tsuwano. Stop by the Heritage Center and staff can guide you on what else to see and do in town.
