Yabusame This style of archery has its origins at the beginning of the Kamakura period . Minamoto no Yoritomo became alarmed at the lack of archery skills his samurai had . He organized yabusame as a form of practice . Nowadays , the best places to see yabusame performed are at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman - gū in Kamakura and Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto ( during Aoi Matsuri in early May ) . It is also performed in Samukawa and on the beach at Zushi , as well as other locations . History . Japanese bows date back to prehistoric times — the Jōmon Period . The long , unique asymmetrical bow style with the grip below the center emerged under the Yayoi culture ( 300 BC – 300 AD ) . Bows became the symbol of authority and power . The legendary first emperor of Japan , Emperor Jimmu , is always depicted carrying a bow . The use of the bow had been on foot until around the 4th century when elite soldiers took to fighting on horseback with bows and swords . In the 10th century , samurai would have archery duels on horseback . They would ride at each other and try to shoot at least three arrows . These duels did not necessarily have to end in death , as long as honor was satisfied . One of the most famous and celebrated incidents of Japanese mounted archery occurred during the Genpei War ( 1180 – 1185 ) , an epic struggle for power between the Heike and Genji clans that was to have a major impact on Japanese culture , society , and politics . At the Battle of Yashima , the Heike , having been defeated in battle , fled to Yashima and took to their boats . They were fiercely pursued by the Genji on horseback , but the Genji were halted by the sea . As the Heike waited for the winds to be right , they presented a fan hung from a mast as a target for any Genji archer to shoot at in a gesture of chivalrous rivalry between enemies . One of the Genji samurai , Nasu no Yoichi , accepted the challenge . He rode his horse into the sea and shot the fan cleanly through . Nasu won much fame and his feat is still celebrated to this day . During the Kamakura Period ( 1192 – 1334 ) , mounted archery was used as a military training exercise to keep samurai prepared for war . Those archers who did poorly might find themselves commanded to commit seppuku , or ritualistic suicide . One style of mounted archery was inuoumono — shooting at dogs . Buddhist priests were able to prevail upon the samurai to have the arrows padded so that the dogs were only annoyed and bruised rather than killed . This sport is no longer practiced . Ritual . Yabusame was designed as a way to please and entertain the myriad of gods that watch over Japan , thus encouraging their blessings for the prosperity of the land , the people , and the harvest . A yabusame archer gallops down a 255 - meter - long track at high speed . The archer mainly controls his horse with his knees , as he needs both hands to draw and shoot his bow . As he approaches a target , he brings his bow up and draws the arrow past his ear before letting the arrow fly with a deep shout of In - Yo - In - Yo ( darkness and light ) . The arrow is blunt and round - shaped in order to make a louder sound when it strikes the board . Experienced archers are allowed to use arrows with a V - shaped prong . If the board is struck , it will splinter with a confetti - like material and fall to the ground . To hit all three targets is considered an admirable accomplishment . Yabusame targets and their placement are designed to ritually replicate the optimum target for a lethal blow on an opponent wearing full traditional samurai armor ( O - Yoroi ) which left the space just beneath the helmet visor bare . Yabusame is characterized as a ritual rather than a sport because of its solemn style and religious aspects , and is often performed for special ceremonies or official events , such as entertaining foreign dignitaries and heads of state . Yabusame demonstrations have been given for the formal visits of US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W . Bush . A yabusame demonstration was given in the United Kingdom for Prince Charles , who reportedly was fascinated and pleased with the performance . To be selected as a yabusame archer is a great honor . In the past , they were chosen from only the best warriors . The archer who performs the best is awarded a white cloth , signifying divine favor . Famous schools . There are two famous schools of mounted archery that perform yabusame . One is the Ogasawara school . The founder , Ogasawara Nagakiyo , was instructed by the shogun Minamoto Yoritomo ( 1147 – 1199 ) to start a school for archery . Yoritomo wanted his warriors to be highly skilled and disciplined . Archery was seen as a good way for instilling the necessary principles for a samurai warrior . Zen became a major element in both foot and mounted archery as it also became popular among the samurai in every aspect of their life during the Kamakura Period . Yabusame as a martial art helped a samurai learn concentration , discipline , and refinement . Zen taught breathing techniques to stabilize the mind and body , giving clarity and focus . To be able to calmly draw one ' s bow , aim , and shoot in the heat of battle , and then repeat , was the mark of a true samurai who had mastered his training and his fear . The other archery school was begun earlier by Minamoto Yoshiari in the 9th century at the command of Emperor Uda . This school became known as the Takeda school of archery . The Takeda style has been featured in classic samurai films such as Akira Kurosawa ' s " Seven Samurai " ( 1954 ) and " Kagemusha " ( 1980 ) . The famed actor of many samurai films , Toshiro Mifune , was a noted student of the Takeda school . Decline and revival . With the arrival of the Portuguese and their guns in the mid - 16th century , the bow began to lose its importance on the battlefield . At the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 , well - placed groups of musketeers serving Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa shot in volleys and practically annihilated the cavalry charges of the Takeda clan . Mounted archery was revived in the Edo Period ( 1600 – 1867 ) by Ogasawara Heibei Tsuneharu ( 1666 – 1747 ) under the command of the shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune ( 1684 – 1751 ) . Given that the nation was at peace , archery as well as other military martial arts became more of a method of personal development rather than military training . Contemporary practice . Yabusame is held at various times of the year , generally near Shinto shrines . In May , the Aoi Matsuri ( Hollyhock festival ) in Kyoto includes yabusame . Other locations include Tsurugaoka Hachiman - gū in Kamakura , together with Samukawa and on the beach at Zushi .