Tsuwano’s spring yabusame shinji, held on a traditional riding ground
Yabusame at Washibara Hachiman Shrine
The 2026 edition of at Washibara Hachiman Shrine has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/05Ended
- Season / frequency
- First Sunday in April / Every year
- Location
- Washibara Hachiman Shrine
- Area
- Shimane Prefecture・Tsuwano Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 40 min · flight time only)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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free standing viewing; no reservation required / Shogi seating: 3,000 yen per seat
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
The yabusame at Washibara Hachiman Shrine is a spring of Tsuwano, carried on at a riding ground said to have been built during the Muromachi period. A highlight is the traditional of shooting arrows from horseback at three targets.
About Yabusame at Washibara Hachiman Shrine
The yabusame at Washibara Hachiman Shrine is a spring shinji passed down in Washibara, Tsuwano Town.
A traditional hono takes place at a riding ground said to have been built during the Muromachi period, with archers shooting arrows from horseback.
The riding ground is designated a National Important Cultural Property and a prefecture-designated historic site for retaining its original form, and is also a constituent cultural property of the Japan Heritage story “Tsuwano: Past and Present—Walking Through the Hyakkeizu.”
Festival highlights
A highlight is the horses racing along the 250-meter riding ground as archers shoot arrows in sequence at three targets.
Three yabusame archers wear Kamakura-period hunting attire, while 12 riders in lighter clothing typically take part in hirakashisha.
The sequence of riding from the far end toward the targets and stopping at the starting end has been passed down along with the traditional riding ground.
Tsuwano’s spring yabusame shinji, held on a traditional riding ground
What to expect
The yabusame shinji is an event offered at the spring grand festival of Washibara Hachiman Shrine.
Horses are sent running from the far end of the riding ground, and archers shoot arrows from horseback at three targets before stopping at the starting end.
There are morning and afternoon sessions, and the notice indicates that a shinji inside the shrine hall is also held during the morning session.
How to take part
Reservations for shogi seating were accepted in 2026, but all 69 seats for the morning session and all 69 seats for the afternoon session sold out.
Standing viewing is listed as free and does not require a reservation.
Shogi seating cost 3,000 yen per seat, payable in cash on the day of the shinji.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Washibara Hachiman Shrine, Washibara, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District
- Train and bus
Take a bus for 10 minutes from JR Tsuwano Station and get off at Washibara Koen-mae; the shrine is right there.
- By car
60 minutes from the Muikaichi IC on the Chugoku Expressway via National Routes 187 and 9
- Parking
There is no parking at the venue.
The nearest parking is at Tsuwano Onsen Nagomi no Sato Roadside Station.
The nearest parking lot is expected to fill early, so allow plenty of time to arrive.
Address Washibara, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 notice listed the event as scheduled for April 5 (Sun).
午前の部は10:00頃から、午後の部は13:30頃からで、当日の状況により時刻が前後する場合があります。
The notice says that a shinji inside the shrine hall is held only during the morning session.
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 Shimane Prefecture / Tsuwano Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
For 2026, seats in the shogi seating area could not be selected by location or row, and even members of the same group might be seated apart.
Pets are prohibited on the grounds of Washibara Hachiman Shrine, and tripods cannot be used for photography in the shogi seating area.
There is no parking at the venue, and the nearest parking lot was expected to fill early, so visitors needed to allow plenty of time.
Nearby attractions
Tourist attractions near Washibara Hachiman Shrine include Tsuwano Castle Ruins, Zaima Sake Brewery, the former residence of Mori Ōgai, and the Tsuwano Town Japan Heritage Center.
Tsuwano Castle Ruins offers views over Tsuwano, while Zaima Sake Brewery is a sake-brewery museum with a history dating back to the Edo period.
The former residence of Mori Ōgai and the Japan Heritage Center are also recommended as nearby places to explore Tsuwano’s history and culture.
太皷谷稲成神社
島根県鹿足郡津和野町にある神社
安野光雅美術館
島根県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
桑原史成写真美術館
島根県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
森鷗外記念館
島根県津和野町にある文学館
津和野町郷土館
島根県津和野町にある博物館
Origins and History of Yabusame at Washibara Hachiman Shrine
The yabusame riding ground is said to have been built by Yoshimi Masayori in Eiroku 11 (1568) alongside the construction of the Hachiman Shrine, and underwent major repairs in 1849.
According to Edo-period records, yabusame in the Ogasawara school style was performed widely as a shinji praying for peace throughout the land and bountiful harvests, but it ceased from the Meiji period onward.
In 1957, members of the Tsuwano Kyudo Association offered yabusame on foot, and the traditional Ogasawara-school yabusame shinji is said to have been revived in 1976 and continued to the present day.
Official information
問い合わせ先は一般社団法人津和野町観光協会（0856-72-1771、9:00～17:00）です。
The phone number of the chair of the Tsuwano Yabusame Preservation Society is also listed for inquiries about the preservation society for the yabusame shinji.
Yabusame at Washibara Hachiman Shrine at a Glance
The yabusame at Washibara Hachiman Shrine is a spring shinji of Tsuwano, carried on at a riding ground said to have been built during the Muromachi period.
Horses race along the 250-meter course as arrows are shot at three targets, combining the sight of Kamakura-period hunting attire with the traditional Ogasawara school style.
The event has a history of prayers for peace throughout the land and bountiful harvests, and is a cultural-property event revived after being suspended from the Meiji period onward.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
