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Japan has a rich heritage of culture and tradition. Colorful festivals and events form an integral and important part of Japan. Kyoto, being one of the premier cities of Japan, has its own unique festivals and events. Toh-shiya or archery contest is one of the most popular festivals in Kyoto. Read on with Asiarooms.com to know more about Toh-shiya. The Toh-shiya in Kyoto is a rivalry of archers. It’s held on a Sunday which falls closest to the 15th of January. The venue is the Sanjusangen-do Temple, which is about 120 meters long and is the longest wooden structure of the world. This is where the master- archers and exuberant youngsters fight it out. The youngsters are usually 20 years of age, the age when Japanese is seen to have achieved adulthood. The target is placed at a distance of 60 meters and has a diameter of only one meter. This is no child’s play, and the archers must posses a high degree of expertise and accuracy. As this event of archery is held on the New Year, it is also known as the `New Year archery’. It’s really a wonderful sight to see kimono-clad young women drawing their bows in celebration. Brief History The festival holds its roots to the middle part of 12th century. According to the popular sayings, the ace archers were master at shooting at the target, which was placed at a distance of 120 meters, covering the southern and northern end of the temple. A contest was initiated in the Edo period where the main objective was to hit the target with arrows as many times as possible in 24 hours, starting from 6pm and continuing till 6pm on the next day. On the pillars, you will also be able to see the marks of the off-target arrows shot by the samurai warriors. There are no admission charges on the day of the celebration day of Toh-shiya. On entering the main hall, you will be sprinkled a holy water with a willow branch. This water is purified for consecutive days in a week by prayers uttered by the Buddhist monks. The monk, who sprays the holy water over you, will also pray for your goodness and health. The main hall also has a 3-meter-high impression of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy right at the centre. This is surrounded by 1,001 images of smaller Kannons, each of them differing slightly from the other.
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