Sakura Yabusame
Portrait of a competitor at the Sakura Yabusame Festival held in Towada City, Japan.
Mounted archery (Yabusame) was one of the martial arts historically practiced by the Samurai as part of their military training. Riders on horseback would refine their skills by shooting arrows at a series of targets of varying height at full gallop along a track. In addition to its application on the battlefield, Yabusame was and still is highly a ritualised event, performed for ceremonial and cultural occasions with public demonstrations occurring on the hallowed grounds of Shinto Temples. Up until recently, Yabusame was a strictly male-dominated tradition that defined social status and male identity.
Sakura Yabusame by contrast is an all-woman horseback archery festival held every April in Towada City, Japan when the cherry blossom is in full bloom. Introduced in the early 2000’s it is a clear example of how cultural traditions can evolve over time without losing authenticity. Similar to traditional Yabusame, riders adorned in colourful costumes shoot arrows at three targets along a track some 200m long lined with Cherry blossom trees and cheering crowds, with each run lasting about 10 to 15 seconds. Competitors are awarded points for hitting the targets and the time taken to complete the run. Since its introduction, Sakura Yabusame has grown in popularity, becoming a significant draw to visitors as well as attracting an increasing number of young riders keen to learn Yabusame and compete in what has effectively become a sport in modern Japan.
While Sakura Yabusame is a celebration of female martial prowess with the bow, it also serves as a profound cultural statement and a reminder that women were very much part of Japan’s warrior culture as much as the men; something that was always true but rarely acknowledged in Samurai history. Indeed, Samurai women were expected to defend their homes, families, villages and castles while the men were away and as such, they received the same martial training although they were excluded from mounted archery. The co-ordination, balance and accuracy demonstrated at the Sakura Yabusame festivals clearly demonstrates that Samurai women were highly skilled warriors in their own right and naturally have a place within Japan’s martial traditions.
While I have long been aware of the Japanese mounted archery tradition, it was only recently that I discovered the Sakura Yabusame festival. The elaborately dressed competitors firing off a series of arrows at targets while riding at full gallop under the cherry blossom is indeed an impressive sight: a demonstration of incredible skill, poise and grace while at the same time unmistakably feminine. This modern adaptation of an ancient martial tradition was the deciding factor in my choice of subject, precisely because it emphasises colour and spectacle.
Title: Sakura Yabusame
Medium: Digital Painting on MacBook Pro using Sketchbook.
Completed: 10th May 2026.
Artist: Stuart Carrol.
The source material for this digital painting can be found at: https://www.towada.travel/en/stories/ayuko-kamimura
