Ōkubo’s yabusame: passing down mounted archery and local prayers
Kashima Jinja Yabusame
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year October 29 / Every year
- Location
- Ōkubo Kashima
- Area
- Ibaraki Prefecture・Hitachi City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 10 min–1 h 30 min · limited express)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
This tradition has been passed down at Kashima Jinja in Ōkubo, Hitachi City. Following purification at Kawarago Beach, a ritual of shooting at targets from horseback and a kyudo demonstration are held.
About Kashima Jinja Yabusame
Kashima Jinja Yabusame is a ritual passed down at Ōkubo Kashima Jinja in Ōkubo, Hitachi City.
After purifying themselves at Kawarago Beach, participants perform yabusame in front of the shrine to ward off evil and pray for a bountiful harvest.
Today, archers shoot at targets from horseback as the horses are led along the by handlers.
In 2019, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hitachi City.
Festival highlights
The highlight is watching archers shoot at targets from horseback as the horses are led along by handlers.
In the past, horses raced along a course about 300 meters long on the prefectural road in front of the first on the sando. Today, the event takes place on the sando.
The kyudo demonstration held alongside yabusame is another highlight of the ritual.
Ōkubo’s yabusame: passing down mounted archery and local prayers
What to expect
The ritual begins with purification at Kawarago Beach, followed by yabusame in front of the shrine.
Archers ride horses led along at a walk by handlers and shoot at targets from horseback.
In addition to yabusame, a kyudo demonstration is held. The ritual has continued as a way to ward off evil and pray for a bountiful harvest.
Location and access
- Venue
Ōkubo Kashima Jinja
Event venue 茨城県日立市 大久保鹿嶋神社
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
Every year October 29
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Ibaraki Prefecture / Hitachi City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
日立市かみね公園
茨城県日立市にある都市公園
日立市郷土博物館
茨城県日立市にある博物館
神峰神社
茨城県日立市宮田町にある神社
Origins and History of Kashima Jinja Yabusame
Records indicate that Kashima Jinja Yabusame was already being held in the early Edo period, and it is considered the oldest yabusame tradition in Ibaraki Prefecture.
It is said to have begun when the Satake clan offered it as . A preservation society was formed, centered on local , who have carried on the ritual.
In 2019, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hitachi City in recognition of efforts to preserve and pass it on, and its contribution to local culture.
Official information
Hitachi City’s official website introduces the origins and details of Kashima Jinja Yabusame, its cultural property designation, and the venue’s location on its local attractions page.
Kashima Jinja Yabusame at a Glance
Kashima Jinja Yabusame is a ritual in which, after purifying themselves at Kawarago Beach, archers shoot at targets from horseback at Ōkubo Kashima Jinja.
Today, archers shoot from horseback while the horses are led along at a walk by handlers, and a kyudo demonstration is also presented.
A local ritual with records dating back to the early Edo period, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hitachi City in 2019.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
