1/11 The Omato Hajimeshiki
Every January 11th there is a special festival in Nishinoomote that marks the beginning of the new year on Tanegashima. Held in the kyudo-dojo adjacent to the Seirin Shrine, the festival has been held on Tanegashima for over 500 years.
The preparations start long before the actual event, with the 6 shooters practicing everyday for at least a week before. On the day of the event the archers gather together in the afternoon to get dressed in their traditional robes and prepare their bows. The 6 archers will each shoot 6 arrows for the festival, doing so in a ritual way. According to tradition, one of the 36 total arrows must miss the target. Ideally this will be the final arrow, but that is not always the case.
The reason that only 35 of the 36 arrows actually hit the target was explained to me like this. If all the arrows are successful, then the there is no room for improvement in the next year. So for the year to be a good as possible, but also to leave room for improvement one arrow is deliberately shot to miss the target. Not a small feat given that the target is 175 centimeters across.
This event is held every year, but there are fewer and fewer people who have the skill to shoot the bow correctly. The kyudo club that uses the dojo during the rest of the year is always looking for more members in order to keep this tradition alive.
Additional Photos (Taken by Isao Matsuzono)
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