On Monday 10th October 2011, Yabusame (traditional horse back Archery) event was held at Toyama Park.

Yabusame is a Japanese traditional ritual in which a horse archer breaks targets.
Accoding to Shinjuku City Official Website, “the Takadanobaba style of yabusame began in 1728, in the Edo period, when the eighth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune, ordered it as a prayer offered at Anahachimangu Shrine for the healing of his son’s illness.”

It was very impressive to see a yabusame archer shooting an arrow at a target while riding a galloping horse!
It was such a great opportunity to learn about the samurai culture.