Sports events Kansai

Kyūdō is the Japanese martial art of archery, one of the arts mastered by the country's ancient warriors. Every year in Kyoto, thousands of Japanese dressed in traditional costumes compete in a major archery competition held at Sanjūsangendō. They must aim at a target 120 metres away. The history of this competition dates back to the end of the 17th century and legend has it that the samurai Asaoka Heibei shot 51 arrows in a row over this distance. The game had its heyday in the Edo period.