Kasagake, an ancient Japanese archery art, was held on October 15, 2023 at Kamigamo Shrine in Kita Ward, Kyoto City. The audience applauded as an archer wearing an eboshi hat fired an arrow powerfully from atop a swiftly running horse and hit the target.
Kasagake is described in the Nihon Shoki, and is said to have been performed at the same shrine by the retired Emperor Gotoba during the Kamakura period. Unlike yabusame, which has a strong ritualistic feel, it is a more practical archery technique, and is characterized by placing the target at the height of the enemy's face or close to the ground, assuming the opponent is prone. The shrine revived it in 2005 and holds it during this period.
Five targets of various sizes were set up on the approximately 180-meter running track set up on the lawn of the shrine grounds. Occasionally, in the rain, archers sprinted and shot arrows at targets at different heights. Each time he hit the target, the approximately 1,000 spectators cheered.
