[john70t]

Archery contest in Sanjusangendo, Kyoto | Matsuri Times
Thousands of girls who enter their adulthood come to Kyoto to shoot two arrows along the back veranda of the temple famous for its 1000 Buddha statues.

Toh-shiya (Archery Contest) | Japan National Tourism Organization
This ceremony apparently dates back to the middle of the 12th Century. It is said that master archers were able to hit their targets across the 120-meter space between northern and southern ends of Sanjusangen-do Temple. In the Edo Period, a contest began based on the number of arrows hitting the target during the 24-hour period from 6 o'clock in the evening to 6 o'clock the next day. The greatest record so far achieved was by Wasa Daihachiro in 1688 when he successfully shot 8,132 arrows, achieving a hit ratio of an astounding 62%. On the pillars, you will find traces of samurai warriors' arrows which missed their target.