Japanese Horseback Archery- Yabusame
The samurai horseback archer thunders by you in full regalia and emits a guttural yell, "In-yo-in-yo!" (darkness! light!) and it acts as a charm, a magical incantation that takes you back a thousand years- Yabusame at the Shinto shrine in Kamakura, Japan. The track for Yabusame is narrow (8 to 10 feet wide) and 270 yards long. There are three targets and the rider, needing both hands free, must guide the horse with his knees, rise slightly in the stirrups, steady, steady, and splinter each 2 foot wide target from a distance of 10-13 feet while galloping past. The targets are positioned, like in ancient times, at the only lethal target on an enemy- the spot on the neck below the helmet visor. "In-yo-in-yo!" Darkness! Light!!!
Yoko and are here at the Shinto Shrine in Kamakura for the event. It is a light rain that the Japanese call "Ame poh-tsu, poh-tsu" like the sound of rain on the window. There are a few ticketed seats on the esplanade that leads to the shrine. And a few more on the edge of the horseback run way. The rest of us are jammed standing in the center of the esplanade.
You have heard the expression, "Let's not stand on ceremony". Well, it is different today. We are standing. "Ame poh-tsu, poh-tsu". And there is a lot of ceremony. Announcements, prayers, processionals, blessings, throw in a little dance by some young maidens, more blessings. One hour. Standing. "Ame poh-tsu, poh-tsu"
Here comes the first rider!!! Watch closely as he draws his bow for the last target at the end of the ride!
Now the second rider. In competition the archers are judged by hitting the targets and how fast they ride.
Now the third horse.
No archer on the third entry. Why? We understand that they are very careful with the horses. If the horse is not ready. If it is spooked, or unsettled. (The attendants disallowed flash cameras or iPhone selfie sticks.) Or if the horse is new to the event and in training, they will send it down the track without a rider. After all, it is a tight space with lots of on lookers.
By now Yoko and I had been standing in "ame poh-tsu, poh-tsu" for an hour and a half. Glad it wasn't an "ame zah! zah!". But I was needing a "toi-re, imma"- a toilet, right now.
While you are with me, learn some Japanese. It is a language full of onomatopoeia.
Hard wind - kazee buu! buu!
Lightning and thunder- Pikah! Goro, Goro!
Crispy - Pari, pari
Oooh almost - Giri, giri
Round and round - guru, guru
Soft - mochi, mochi
Hard - Kachi, kachi
Fluffy - with a soft "f" fuu-wah, fuu-wah
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