1.Activities to widen and develop sport yabusame
2.Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration project
3.Report from the Yabusame Demonstration, American Performance
4.Towada Yabusame Tourism Federation Official Channel
The Future Generations : Next-generation leader development program
In the increasingly globalized and diversified society of today, children are required to acquire not only scholastic ability and knowledge but also the practical ability to take on numerous things to solve problems, while achieving mutual understanding with people of differing values and cultural backgrounds.
The Future Generations next-generation leader development program aims to develop human resources equipped with the power to actively lead in society, through hands-on learning including workshops, debates, and volunteer activities that go beyond the classroom and into the local community as a place for learning through engagement with people.
Under the theme of “making Towada Japan’s most shining city through sport yabusame,” the program engages in workshops, event planning and execution, presentations, and other activities. It carries out year-round practical activities that let people acquire capabilities for active roles in society by accumulating learning and experience while interacting with local communities and people. Its aim is to nurture practical creativity, logical thinking, communication capabilities, and execution capabilities.
We invite you to take note of these new efforts to nurture the next generation through tie-ups (industry-academia collaboration) between academic preparatory schools and companies.
website(Japanese page): http://towada-joba.com/fg/
Learning: Educational workshops about yabusame
Planning: Examination of content of events to solve problems
Execution: Accumulation of experience in practical venues
Yabusame Clinic
Yabusame competitions are special services limited to only experienced horse riders. Due to its novelty, there are very few instructors nationwide able to provide safe and appropriate guidance. This workshop is held every year in Towada, Aomori Prefecture by members of the regional horseback riding promotion council to foster momentum through yabusame competitions. It nurtures competitive yabusame riders and instructors who have an understanding of competitive yabusame and the ability to display stirring and splendid skills, and seeks to create tourism business that draws on regional power.
Explanation of technical theory on beautiful bow handling
Using a wooden horse to demonstrate falls during yabusame
Practical training: Correcting bow handling technique
Confirming horseback bow handling on a led horse
(1) We will hold traveling classes in Japan to provide instruction in the participatory Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration program, which will let people experience and understand of a part of competitive yabusame without the need for large grounds or actual horses.
(2) We will produce a video explaining Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration and create an environment enabling remote instruction, and will promote the activity domestically and internationally.
(3) We will hold events to present the Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration, gathering the participants from (1) and (2) (remotely as well).
By 2025, when the Osaka/Kansai Expo will be held, we intend to deliver performances to the world through the one thousand members we plan to gather through the project, and will promote friendship and goodwill among the participants.
By sharing an identical program, we will create a venue where all can share understanding and recognition to make the world smile, regardless of generation, gender, or region!
We will power up interaction among diverse people across regions and countries!
Business opportunities
We will hold competitive tournament events and strive to promote tourism in Towada, Aomori Prefecture, which has long made leaps forward as a famed horse breeding region. We will work to establish and popularize the traditional Japanese martial art yabusame as a competitive sport that learns from ancient martial arts while adapting elements of the modern era, and that can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages who compete in stirring and splendid techniques.
Using yabusame as a hook, in recent years we have engaged in educational activities letting people gain familiarity with the history and culture of the region and traditions of Japan, as well as establish scenarios for international activity and take pride in discussing and explaining culture created in Japan. We hope to widen the participatory and hands-on Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration program, which provides an opportunity to learn from the forms, methods, and thinking used in yabusame, to deeply understand the thought and history behind the culture and to consider how to make use of those in the present day.
Development of initiatives
Regions future development, and methods for doing so
Domestic ・ ・ ・ Traveling seminars
Overseas ・ ・ ・ Online training
We hope to increase the number of like-minded people worldwide, first gaining recognition among people in Japan. Toward that end, we would like to increase opportunities for deeper interaction in collaboration with interested companies, schools, and organizations.
Ideal collaboration
・ Training at companies and organizations
・ Japanese cultural education at elementary, junior high, and high schools
・ Performance lessons for kindergarten and older children
・ Local government and other events
We welcome every such opportunity for activity.
We also welcome individuals who want to be part of our thousand-person challenge.
Involvement with the theme of the Osaka/Kansai Expo
Focusing on the “Connecting Lives” sub-theme under “Designing a future society that shines with life,” we intend to achieve partnerships with a wide range of regions where people connect across boundaries and generations, and announce our achievements to the world at the 2025 Expo.
Involvement with the SDGs
Through the Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration instruction course, we will offer opportunities to become familiar with the history and culture of the region and with Japanese traditions, as well as to deeply understand the thought and history behind the culture and consider how to make use of those in the present day.
By popularizing yabusame as a competitive sport for men and women of all ages, we aim to develop people who can play active roles in society regardless of gender.
Under the concept of normalization, through the Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration program we will contribute to the creation of world peace that transcends gender, nationality, and age.
It began with an email message that arrived in mid-February 2018, from the Consulate General of Japan in the city of Atlanta. It was a request to hold a demonstration performance in the US!
Sakura Festivals are said to be held at various locations in the four states that come under the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta. Among these, the 37th Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival on March 24 and 25 was scheduled for the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, a city near Atlanta.
The festival began when a Japanese company planted cherry trees, a connection with Japan that the city of Conyers values. Now well-known throughout Georgia, this cherry blossom festival has grown to be the pride of Conyers locals. When the festival was considering introducing real Japanese culture that no one had seen in the US south, the elements of cherry blossoms and the venue (an equestrian park) led the organizers to approach us for the Sakura Yabusame that we hold every year in Towada, Aomori Prefecture.
Sakura yabusame
At the venue, a Japan booth set up by the Consul General first performed promotional activities. Struggling with clumsy English and Japanese on both sides, the booth performed PR for Sakura Yabusame, provided information on the demonstration to be held in the evening, and distributed tourism pamphlets from Aomori Prefecture and Towada. Visitors were intrigued by the Japanese atmosphere, which differed from other booths.
Japan booth at the Sakura Festival venue
At 5:30 pm, the crowd gradually flowed into the arena’s spectator seats. Finally, it was time for the event!
The words “TOWADA YABUSAME” appeared on the giant monitor in the arena, and photos of the practitioners appeared. People were impressed by the production of the gorgeous event, not seen even in events in Japan. The participants appeared while a local MC provided commentary in English, like a radio DJ.
The performances on the monitor cranked up the excitement
As I was shooting from the best position on the sidelines where only related parties were allowed, I was able to witness the great cheers that arose every time the riders hit a target while demonstrating their mounted archery, an atmosphere different from that in Japan.
Such a scene, at an Olympic venue in the US!!
The riders made hit all of the targets in all three runs, completing the yabusame demonstration successfully. At the end, while being announced as special guests from Japan, the riders slowly walked their horses out of the venue. In terms of time, it was a dreamlike 30 minutes.
Introduced as US-Japan cultural exchange guests
What I felt in this first demonstration of yabusame demonstration in Atlanta was the great achievement of everyone cooperating to succeed in the single goal of displaying yabusame, despite differences in language and culture. From the talks at schools and the word “Amazing!!” from spectators, I felt certain that people took an interest in Japan’s yabusame culture.
International Night, Elkins Point Middle School
During my six-day stay in the US, I felt the connections and efforts of so many people. I believe that it was those connections that turned an initially seeming impossibility into something possible. I felt firsthand what accompanying staff said during my stay, that “people move the world.” Without doubt, this encounter and achievement will be a great step in further leading yabusame to the world.
Talk at Georgia State University
The Towada Yabusame Tourism Federation has an official channel on the video upload site YouTube, distributing videos to boost understanding.
The Federation will continue to post video content including tournament live broadcasts, announcements, and introductions to sport yabusame, delivering information that text and photos alone cannot communicate. Please subscribe to the channel.
Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDysPBcXbwY-24M_vpMh9Q
– Main posted videos –
◆ Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration project
We post announcements and our traveling classes that provide instruction in the participatory Yabusame Standing Archery Demonstration program, which lets people experience and understand a part of competitive yabusame without the need for large grounds or actual horses.
◆ Sakura Yabusame recommended videos
We post records, news videos, and more from Sakura Yabusame, held every year in Towada as the sole sport yabusame tournament in Japan in which only female riders take part.
Copyright © 十和田流鏑馬公式総合案内 All rights reserved.