Yabusame
Japanese horseback archery — shoot three wooden targets at full gallop down a 255 m course.
👥1 per team🌤outdoor
What is Yabusame?
Yabusame is the traditional Japanese art of horseback archery, developed in the 12th-century Kamakura era as samurai training. An archer in full traditional armour gallops down a 255 m track and shoots three arrows into three wooden targets in quick succession. It survives today as a ceremonial and demonstration event at Shinto shrines.
Quick facts
Category
Equestrian Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
outdoor
Country of origin
🇯🇵 Japan
Estimated origin
12th-century Kamakura Japan (samurai training)
Olympic
No
Popularity
niche
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified