Archery practice

What is happening in this picture?

Under a cherry tree in full bloom, a mounted archer takes aim at a round paper target held by a running servant. One of several forms of archery practice formalized as early as the Kamakura period (1185–1333), this activity trained warriors to shoot accurately at moving targets while riding at a full gallop. The red fence beneath the cherry tree suggests that the event takes place on the grounds of a Shinto shrine, the usual setting for yabusame, a form of religious exercise or sport performed in a shrine precinct by mounted warriors.

Instead of armor, the archer wears the soft silk tunic, or hunting robe, over a red silk underobe and loose-fitting pants. On his head he wears a tall, lacquered cap. These elements identify him as a member of the imperial guard, lower-ranking noblemen of the Heian period (794–1185) whose largely ceremonial function was to protect the emperor and his family. A precursor to medieval samurai, the imperial guard’s training in archery and other military skills provided a basis for later practices developed under the leadership of the first shogun Minamoto Yoritomo (1147–1199) and others in the early Kamakura period (1185–1333).

Written at the far right is a four-line verse in the style of classical court poetry, or waka, which celebrates the skill of the mounted archer. By including a poem in this way, the artist points to the balance of bu and bun—the military and cultural arts—that was expected of every Japanese warrior.