Horseback archers perform ritual at Kamakura shrine
Traditional horseback archery known as "yabusame" has been performed at a Shinto shrine in Kamakura City, west of Tokyo.
It is believed that Minamoto no Yoritomo began holding the ritual at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in the 12th century to pray for peace. He established a samurai government in Kamakura.
The event is now held every year on September 16 during a three-day festival.
On Wednesday, the archers dressed as samurai warriors shot arrows at three targets one by one as they rode their horses along a 250-meter course in light rain.
Tourists clapped and cheered whenever the archers hit the bullseye.
A man in his 60s told NHK that he watched the ritual for the first time and was impressed by its speed.
Archer Ogasawara Kiyomoto said the yabusame at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine has a very long history, and he wants to make sure it is handed down for generations to come.
