1.World YABUSAME Championship
2.Towada, the mecca for competitive yabusame
Yabusame lovers from all over the country gather and compete in a day of spirited competition for the grand prize. It is an opportunity to fully enjoy the wonder of martial arts that have been passed down from ancient times and pay tribute to the fact that the Japanese stallion still thrives today.
■Date: 2025/10/18 (Sat) – 19 (Sun)
■Location: Towada City Central Park (Chuo Koen) Yabusame Venue
■Admission: Free
■Schedule: (Common to both days)
7:00 AM – Practice runs begin
9:30 AM – Opening Ceremony (first day only)
10:00 AM – World Challenge Class(2 races), Beginner (2 races), Intermediate (3 races)
12:00 PM – Lunch break
1:00 PM – Team (2 races), Professional (4 races), Advanced (3 races)
3:00 PM – Post-competition (first day: commemorative photo session, second day: awards ceremony)
*Schedule will be updated as soon as it is confirmed
■Events/Attractions:
Yabusame Competition（Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Professional）
World Challenge Class
Horse Riding Experience (500yen～)
SAKURA YABUSAME Photo Contest Exhibition
English interpreting guide
Yabusame Event Venue Limited Edition Goods Sales
Food Stalls
& More!
◆Purpose
The World Yabusame Championships World Challenge Class invites participants from all over the world, regardless of region or country, and provides them with an opportunity to take on the world of sporting yabusame. We have prepared a program that combines practice and competition participation, and we will support participants so that they can efficiently improve their skills and show off their results on the competition stage. Through this event, we also aim to widely disseminate Japan’s traditional culture to yabusame fans around the world and promote international exchange.
◆Event Outline
□Dates
2025/10/16 (Thu) – 17 (Fri) On-site practice session
2025/10/18 (Sat) – 19 (Sun) Competition participation
□Venue
Towada City Central Park (3 Nishisanbancho, Towada City, Aomori Prefecture)
□Organizer
Towada Yabusame Tourism Federation
□Cooperation
Towada Horse Riding Club
◆Events
Yabusame Competition – Individual Competition (World Challenge Class)
◆Participation conditions
* Experience in horseback archery, Yabusame, Horseback archery, etc.
* Age, gender, region, and nationality are not important
◆Competition Rules
(1)People wear traditional Japanese clothing, horses wear sangai.
(2)The maximum weight of the bow is 8kg.
(3)The length of the arrow, excluding the kabura, must be at least 90 cm, and the arrow must be a round, wooden kabura arrow with a diameter of 3 cm. Two-feather arrows may also be used.
(4)Elimination: Falling off the horse within the time measurement range (1-3 marks) will result in elimination. Running away from the horse will also result in elimination.
(5)Time limit: 9 seconds – no limit
(6)Races/Target: 2 races/3 targets (all horizontal)
(7)Ranking: Counted by number of hits and time. In the event of a tie, the winner will be the one with the fastest total time.
*Other competition rules are in accordance with the competition rules of the Japan Yabusame Competition Federation (Inc.)
◆Schedule
10/16（Thu） Riding practice 1 ride in the afternoon
10/17（Fri） Riding practice 1 ride in the afternoon
10/18（Sat）・19（Sun） Tournament participation (2 days): 7:00-9:30 practice run, 10:00- main run
*Please note that if we determine during practice sessions that it is dangerous for you to compete
in the tournament, we may ask you to refrain from participating.
◆Cost
□Tournament entry fee: 7,700 yen
□Tournament horse rental fee: 10,000 yen
□Practice session participation fee: 20,000 yen
* If you would like to rent or purchase equipment, please contact Towada Horse Riding Club.
◆Capacity
4 people (first come, first served, ends when capacity is reached)
◆Application
Please fill out the application form and submit it by September 28th (Sun).
Download application form (PDF)
https://towada-joba.com/pdf/2025WYCtowada.pdf
The tournament footage will be recorded and distributed on YouTube
Please subscribe to our channel
https://www.youtube.com/@Towada-yabusame
Located in southern Aomori Prefecture, Towada features natural spots including Lake Towada and Oirase Gorge, designated national special scenic spots and natural monuments. It is famous throughout Japan as a tourist destination.
At the same time, the urban area, which is developing as an artistic town containing the Towada Art Center and more, has a prosperous history as Japan’s largest war horse breeding ranch, with the Sanbongi Branch of the Army Remount Department established here in the Meiji era.
Kanchogai-dori in the city center is a famous location selected among the “100 Best Roads in Japan.” Towada is recognized even today as a “city of horses” where a history of horses lies heavy, as seen in stone monuments of the Army Remount Department and horse-shaped objects of art along what is nicknamed “Horse Highroad.”
The World Yabusame Championship is an event launched to broadly publicize this “city of horses” to the local residents and others, both inside and outside the prefecture.
Held every year in mid-October, this tournament is also positioned as the last tournament of the yabusame season as winter approaches. It is a high-level tournament that brings together top competitors from the year’s tournaments.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see the impressive power of the horses from seats close enough to the action to feel the flying sand.
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